


Pokemon: Best of the Best

by Eclipton



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-19
Updated: 2020-08-19
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:14:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 23
Words: 24,721
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25983415
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eclipton/pseuds/Eclipton
Summary: Sixty-four of the best Pokemon Trainers in the world are invited to compete in a tournament known as the Best of the Best where the winner will receive the title of Best of the Best as well as one hundred million dollars. But an ex-Pokemon Trainer seeks to ruin all the fun and excitement for everyone.
Kudos: 4





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This fanfic was first written and uploaded on DeviantArt.com.

Chapter 1

The final battle of the Indigo Conference Tournament in the Kanto Region was halfway through. Both Trainers were down to their fourth Pokemon. Blake Webster’s opponent, Laman Humphrey, still had his Machamp out. Blake knew which of his remaining Pokemon he needed to use next in order to stand a chance to win the battle as well as the tournament.

“Go, Hitmonchan!” Blake declared as he threw his pokeball out.

Hitmonchan emerged from the pokeball, ready to fight.

“Stupid, stupid move, Blake,” Laman commented. “My Machamp is more than a match for any Hitmonchan.”

“Don’t listen to him, Hitmonchan,” Blake said. “You’ve got this one.”

“He’s got nothing!” Laman rebutted. “Machamp, seismic toss!”

“Hitmonchan, float like a Butterfree, sting like a Beedrill!” Blake commanded.

As Machamp tried to get a hold of Hitmonchan, Hitmonchan easily avoided being grabbed and threw some punches in the process, many of them hitting Machamp. Each time Machamp got hit, he grew angrier and more frustrated. Hitmonchan continued the assault while maintaining his evasion speed.

“Come on, Machamp!” Laman yelled. “Don’t let that weakling get the better of you! Grab him anyway you can!”

Eventually, Machamp managed to grab hold of Hitmonchan with his lower arms and lift him off the ground. Hitmonchan’s feet were dangling.

“Hitmonchan, traumatic concussion!” Blake commanded.

Hitmonchan proceeded to throw several jabs straight to Machamp’s face. The jabs were powerful enough that it caused Machamp to lose his grip before he could capitalize. With Hitmonchan freed, he could continue the previous onslaught.

“Now, Hitmonchan, TKO!” Blake instructed.

Hitmonchan threw one powerful punch straight for Machamp’s face. The punch was powerful enough to knock Machamp down and out.

“Machamp is unable to battle!” the referee ruled. “Laman is down to two Pokemon!”

“Blast it!” Laman said in frustration as Machamp was returned to his pokeball. “You may have gotten the better of Machamp, but I still have the advantage. I choose Scyther!”

Laman threw his pokeball out and Scyther emerged from it, ready to battle.

“Keep focused, Hitmonchan,” Blake said. “Same strategy as before.”

“Code phrases won’t help you anymore, Blake,” Laman claimed. “Scyther, form a tornado to take Hitmonchan off his feet!”

“Hitmonchan, stick and move!” Blake commanded.

However, Scyther was faster than Hitmonchan. No matter how many times Hitmonchan tried, he couldn’t land a single punch on Scyther. Scyther kept swirling around Hitmonchan until a tornado was formed that was strong enough to take Hitmonchan off his feet. Without any ground mobility, Hitmonchan was defenseless.

“Now, Scyther, take him out!” Laman commanded.

Scyther entered the tornado and slashed at Hitmonchan from every conceivable direction. Without being able to evade or block, Hitmonchan didn’t last long. Once the tornado died out, Hitmonchan hit the ground hard. Hitmonchan tried to get up, yet he ended up collapsing on the ground.

“Hitmonchan is unable to battle!” the referee declared. “Blake is down to two Pokemon!”

Blake returned Hitmonchan to his pokeball. Nevertheless, Blake wasn’t frustrated with the setback.

“If you don’t want to be humiliated further, I suggest you forfeit the rest of the battle,” Laman taunted.

“You talk way too much trash, Laman,” Blake replied. “You should have been a garbageman instead.”

“You’re the one who’s going to collect garbage after this battle,” Laman rebutted. “Now pick your next victim for my Scyther to destroy.”

“I choose Pidgeot!” Blake declared as he threw his pokeball high into the air.

Once the pokeball reached maximum height, Pidgeot emerged from the pokeball and immediately dived at Scyther at top speed. Scyther couldn’t dodge in time and was hit hard. Scyther was tumbling along the ground, yet used its scythes to come to a stop. Scyther quickly got up.

“Scyther, form another tornado to render it defenseless!” Laman commanded.

“Pidgeot, give it a taste of its own medicine!” Blake commanded.

Both Pidgeot and Scyther attempted to form tornadoes. However, Pidgeot was faster and formed one sooner. Scyther lost control and Pidgeot immediately went on the offense without having to be commanded to do so. Pidgeot had the clear advantage and Laman knew it. Laman knew nothing could be done to save Scyther. Once the tornado died out. Scyther fell to the ground in an unconscious state.

“Scyther is unable to battle!” the referee declared. “Laman is down to one Pokemon!”

Scyther was returned to his pokeball.

“Alright, Blake,” Laman said. “Playtime is over. Now it’s time for me to lock down this battle. My final Pokemon is none other than Magnezone!”

Laman threw his pokeball out and Magnezone emerged. Blake knew Pidgeot didn’t stand a chance against it as electric Pokemon had a distinct advantage over flying Pokemon.

“Pidgeot, return!” Blake commanded as Pidgeot went back into its pokeball.

“It makes no difference,” Laman commented. “Magnezone will win the tournament for me.”

“Raichu!” Blake’s Raichu replied.

“It looks like it’s all up to you, Raichu,” Blake said as he turned toward his Raichu. “I believe in you. Now get out there and show Magnezone who’s boss!”

Raichu approached Magnezone. The two Pokemon locked eyes on each other, awaiting orders from their trainers. This would determine which Trainer would become champion.

“Your Raichu is doomed, Blake,” Laman taunted. “I don’t care if it’s also an electric Pokemon, it can’t withstand Magnezone’s attacks. Magnezone, thunderbolt!”

“Raichu, Attack Pattern Delta!” Blake commanded.

As Magnezone unleashed its attacks, Raichu swiftly dodged and circled Magnezone in a triangular pattern. Raichu then proceeded to leap at Magnezone and strike it with his tail. The force from the tail strike caused Magnezone to hit the ground. Regardless, it got right back up and hit Raichu with a thunderbolt, causing Raichu to be knocked back.

“Hang in there, Raichu!” Blake called out as Raichu regained his posture. “You’ve faced tougher Pokemon than this one!”

“Let’s see it survive what’s going to happen next,” Laman replied. “Magnezone, supercharge!”

Magnezone started to build up a strong aura of electricity. Blake immediately recognized what was going to happen.

“Raichu, wait!” Blake commanded. “Standby for my next command!”

Raichu did as Blake instructed. Blake knew he had to get the timing for the next attack just right to win the tournament. Any sooner, Magnezone would still be able to fight. Any later, Raichu would most likely be doomed.

“Keep charging up, Magnezone!” Laman commanded.

Mangezone’s electrical aura continued to grow at a gradual rate. Eventually, the attack that would be unleashed would be unavoidable. Nevertheless, Blake knew when to order his Raichu to attack.

“Almost there,” Blake said to himself.

The electrical aura eventually got to the point where everyone watching knew when it would be unleashed. Most importantly, Blake knew. It was the moment he was waiting for.

“Now, Raichu!” Blake commanded. “EMP!”

Raichu unleashed a shockwave that reached Magnezone. When it hit Magnezone, the electrical aura that was building up suddenly vanished and Magnezone fell unconscious almost instantly.

“What did you do to my Magnezone?!” Laman exclaimed, shocked at what just happened.

“Raichu took away all of its power,” Blake answered. “I let your Magnezone charge up enough to the point where it couldn’t recover from the sudden loss of its electrical aura. Since Magnezone is an inorganic Pokemon, it can’t fight without a sufficient electrical charge. Looks like your pride was your ultimate downfall, Laman.”

“That was a dirty move!” Laman complained to the referee. “Blake should be disqualified for that!”

“There’s nothing in the rulebook prohibiting electric Pokemon from using an EMP if they’re able to do so,” the referee ruled. “Since Magnezone is unable to battle, the winner and Indigo Conference Champion is Blake Webster!”

The fans in the stadium cheered from the result. Laman couldn’t believe what happened. He returned Magnezone to its pokeball and walked away in the agony of defeat.

Blake and Raichu celebrated in the middle of the battlefield. Fireworks shot off. Confetti rained down. After a hard-fought battle, victory was finally achieved.

Mr. Goodshow shortly approached Blake and Raichu and presented Blake with the championship trophy. Blake hoisted the trophy above his head in triumph. It was a moment that dreams were made of.

“Blake Webster, congratulations on such a hard-fought victory!” Mr. Goodshow said with a microphone in hand for everyone in the stadium to hear. “I know you must be very proud of all your Pokemon that fought for you.”

“I am,” Blake replied. “Without any doubt, this is the greatest moment of my life. I want to thank my fans for cheering me on. I want to thank my parents for supporting me through this quest. But most importantly, I want to thank my Raichu for being there for me from the beginning and fighting his hardest in every battle. I love you all!”

The fans cheered at that last statement.

“Now, Blake, I don’t mean to interrupt the celebration, but I did promise an important announcement at the conclusion of this tournament,” Mr. Goodshow pointed out. “You might want to listen, because it also involves you. Now, I know that normally, the Conference Champion gets to face off against the Elite Four and, if successful against them, the League Champion for the title. However, things are going to be done differently this year.”

“What do you mean?” Blake asked.

“I’ve been in contact with Pokemon League officials all over the world,” Mr. Goodshow continued. “I want everyone to mark their calendars for this: Three months from now, here in the Indigo Plateau, we’re going to host yet another Pokemon tournament. Sixty-four of the best Pokemon Trainers in the world will compete in it. This tournament will be called the Best of the Best!”

The fans erupted in cheer from the announcement. It was something they were anticipating for a very long time and it had finally come to pass.

“And Blake, since you won the Indigo Conference, you’ve already qualified for the tournament,” Mr. Goodshow announced.

“I’m honored, Mr. Goodshow,” Blake replied. “Who else is in this tournament?”

“There will be various Conference and League Champions, Elite Four members, and other top-tier Trainers from all over the world,” Mr. Goodshow answered. “The winner of this tournament will hold the title of Best of the Best. But that’s not all. The winner of the tournament will also win one hundred million dollars!”

The fans were shocked by that announcement. Blake was shocked as well. Never in the history of Pokemon tournaments has such a huge prize been offered to the winner.

“Are you serious?!” Blake exclaimed.

“I’m serious, Blake,” Mr. Goodshow confirmed. “I wish you and every other Trainer in this tournament the best of luck. The Best of the Best Tournament will indeed be the best tournament in history!”

The fans cheered at the statement. Everyone had something to look forward to.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Paul was in his room in his apartment working on a painting of a nearby forest. He had made significant progress on his painting and was nearing completion of his work.

“Beautiful, if I might say so myself,” Paul said to himself as he observed his work. “Bob Ross himself would be very proud. This will make me a good amount of cash. Now to put the highlights on the trees to finish it up.”

Paul tapped his fan brush into the color he intended to use for the highlights. As he was about to gently apply the paint on the canvas, his two roommates in the living room cheered obnoxiously, causing Paul to lose concentration and streak the brush across the canvas, ruining everything. Paul gasped in horror from what just happened.

“No!” Paul cursed in frustration. “My beautiful painting!”

Paul became angry at what just happened. He dropped his brush and pallet and went to the living room to see what his roommates were cheering about. To his displeasure, they were watching the conclusion of the Silver Conference Tournament of the Johto League.

“Jon Dickson has done it again!” the announcer on TV said. “He has won his second Silver Conference Championship and has qualified for the Best of the Best Tournament!”

“Why are you watching this garbage?” Paul demanded in anger at his roommates. “It’s pathetic!”

“Oh, look who’s talking,” one of Paul’s roommates replied sarcastically.

“Yeah, Paul,” Paul’s other roommate agreed. “You used to be a Pokemon Trainer until you eventually quit like your ‘pathetic’ brother.”

“Don’t remind me!” Paul scolded his roommates. “Being a Pokemon Trainer completely ruined my life. My reputation is irreparable, I’m stuck with a job that will take me nowhere, not to mention I’m stuck with you two. Oh, how I despise Pokemon battles! They ought to be illegal.”

“If you hate Pokemon battles so much, then maybe you should run for office,” one of Paul’s roommates sarcastically suggested. “Of course, good luck getting elected. No one will want to elect someone who wants to outlaw Pokemon tournaments.”

Hearing that gave Paul an idea.

“You know, maybe there’s another way to outlaw them,” Paul replied. “Maybe if I do something at this Best of the Best Tournament to get everyone’s attention, they’ll see things my way for a change.”

“Good luck with that,” Paul’s other roommate said. “Pokemon battles are a huge part of the world’s entertainment. They won’t let it go easily.”

“After what I have in store, they will,” Paul rebutted.

“Oh, yeah?” the same roommate asked. “What are you planning to do to force Pokemon battles to be banned?”

“You’ll see,” Paul answered. “Everyone will see. Then, no one will ever battle again.”


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Blake, his Raichu and his father were back at their home in Viridian City eating breakfast. Three weeks had passed since Blake became Indigo Conference Champion. Regardless, it didn’t feel that way with Blake.

“I’m still having a hard time getting used to all this fame,” Blake said. “I never thought things would get like this.”

“Being famous isn’t easy, my son,” Blake’s father replied. “Sure, people know your name and you get endorsement deals, but there’s always a dark side to everything.”

“I wouldn’t mind it so much if the reporters didn’t hound me everywhere,” Blake pointed out. “This house is the only safe haven from them.”

“Well, you can’t stay in here forever,” Blake’s father said. “You’ll have to go out and train for the Best of the Best Tournament eventually. Otherwise, you’ll get creamed in the first round.”

“But how will I do that without the media chasing me?” Blake asked as he walked toward the window and pulled back the curtain, revealing paparazzi members ready to take pictures and conduct impromptu interviews on the spot. “I can’t go anywhere without them on my tail.”

It only took a few seconds for Blake’s father to think of a plan.

“I’ll deal with them,” Blake’s father committed. “Here’s the plan: While I walk out the front door and have them interview me; you’ll sneak out from the back yard wearing a hoodie to disguise yourself while also concealing Raichu. Five minutes should be long enough for me to distract them while you get enough distance from them.”

“Problem: They’ll search all over Viridian City when they realize what has happened,” Blake pointed out.

“That’s why you won’t be in Viridian City to train,” Blake’s father added. “If you want to avoid media attention, I suggest you go somewhere that doesn’t have a strong media presence.”

“And where would that be?” Blake asked.

“The nearest place without a strong media presence would be Pallet Town,” Blake’s father answered. “It may not have as many benefits as Viridian City, but you’ll be able to train there without being distracted by the media.”

“Alright, then,” Blake agreed. “Let’s finish up breakfast. Then we’ll execute the escape plan.”

After they finished breakfast, Blake retrieved an oversized white hoodie from his room along with other supplies in his backpack. He put on his hoodie and had his Raichu hide in it as well. The moment his father walked out the front door to speak with the paparazzi, Blake exited the house through the back door and climbed over the fence in the back yard. As he ran away from the house, he saw the paparazzi was asking his father a lot of questions. Nevertheless, he kept running away.

After reaching the southern border of Viridian City, Blake checked to see if anyone was around. To his satisfaction, there wasn’t anyone nearby. He knew he was in the clear.

“Alright, Raichu, it’s safe to come out now,” Blake said.

Raichu came out of hiding from Blake’s hoodie. Blake put his hoodie in his backpack, knowing he wouldn’t need it anytime in the near-future.

“Raichu, Rai,” Raichu said.

“I know, Raichu,” Blake replied. “But this was the only way to get those media vultures off our backs. Once we reach Pallet Town, we’ll stay at one of the finer hotels there. Then, we train to become the Best of the Best.”

“Raichu!” Raichu agreed.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Blake and Raichu were jogging southward along Route 1 toward Pallet Town. Without anyone following them, they knew they had nothing to worry about. They kept at a steady pace so they wouldn’t tire out easily.

Early on in their jog, they came across a pack of Rattata that seemed eager for a fight. Despite their large numbers, Blake knew they were no match for Raichu.

“Raichu, take them out swiftly,” Blake commanded.

In the flash of an eye, Raichu sprang into action and quickly took out the pack of Rattata with ease. Blake didn’t bother catching any of them since he had already done so early in his career and had one in storage.

Blake and Raichu continued their jog. It didn’t take long for another group of Pokemon to engage them in battle. This time, it was a flock of Spearow. Once again, Blake knew Raichu had the advantage.

“Raichu, chain lightning on this flock,” Blake commanded.

Raichu unleashed a bolt of lightning that hit one Spearow and immediately traveled to the closest one and then on to every other Spearow. The Spearow fell to the ground. Like the pack of Rattata, Blake didn’t bother to catch any Spearow.

“You haven’t lost a step at all, Raichu,” Blake commented.

“Raichu, Rai!” Raichu replied.

“Let’s move on,” Blake said.

The jog toward Pallet Town continued. No other large group of Pokemon dared to challenge Blake or Raichu. It was almost as if all the wild Pokemon in the area became aware of what Blake and Raichu were capable of and didn’t want to take any chances.

As they continued, Raichu suddenly stopped as his eye beheld a girl in black and pink clothes with a white hat. She was sitting underneath the shade of a tree next to her Piplup. Blake backtracked to see why Raichu wasn’t jogging. It didn’t take long for him to see what his Raichu saw.

“Raichu?” Raichu asked.

“I have no idea who she is, either,” Blake answered.

“Raichu, Rai,” Raichu said.

“I don’t know, Raichu,” Blake replied. “We should get to Pallet Town as soon as possible.”

“You should listen to your Raichu,” the girl said, evidently hearing the conversation. “It’s okay, my Piplup won’t peck your eyes out.”

“Piplup, Pip,” Piplup agreed.

Blake and Raichu proceeded toward the girl and her Piplup and sat next to them.

“How’d you understand what my Raichu was talking about?” Blake asked.

“I knew a Pikachu one of my friends has,” the girl pointed out. “I figured your Raichu wasn’t too different. By the way, I’m Dawn.”

“Blake Webster,” Blake introduced.

“Hey, I know you,” Dawn replied in an interested tone after hearing his name. “You won the Indigo Conference a few weeks ago, right?”

“That’s right,” Blake confirmed. “And now, I must train for the Best of the Best Tournament. I decided to come to Pallet Town so the paparazzi doesn’t have the opportunity to distract me from preparing for it.”

“Well, I’m heading toward Pallet Town as well,” Dawn replied.

“Why?” Blake asked. “Are you in the Best of the Best Tournament as well?”

“No,” Dawn answered. “I’m actually going to be at a homecoming party for Ash Ketchum tomorrow. He’s going to be returning to Pallet Town and I and some other of his friends thought we’d be there for him.”

“Is Ash in the tournament?” Blake asked, suspecting the obvious.

“He sure is,” Dawn confirmed.

“That’s what I thought,” Blake said. “Actually, this might still work out for me. While Ash and everyone are busy at the party, I’ll be able to train unnoticed at a quiet corner of the town.”

“You’re not going to introduce yourself to Ash?” Dawn asked.

“It wouldn’t be polite to attend a party that I’m not invited to,” Blake replied. “Besides, it isn’t part of my plans. I need to-”

Before Blake could finish that thought, his eye caught glimpse of a large flock of Spearow flying toward him and Dawn.

“It’s that flock of Spearow my Raichu attacked a while ago!” Blake warned. “They’ve come for revenge! Get back, Dawn!”

Dawn did as Blake instructed. Blake released his Vaporeon from its pokeball in anticipation for another battle.

“Vaporeon, form a wall of water to block off the flock!” Blake commanded.

Vaporeon did what Blake commanded. The flock of Spearow rammed into the wall of water, unable to advance much further. This also played into Blake’s strategy of what to do next.

“Now, Raichu, chain lightning!” Blake commanded.

Raichu unleashed a stream of lightning that hit one Spearow and traveled to the next, then to the rest. The water that drenched the flock of Spearow caused the electricity to be more potent. The flock fell.

“That was some great thinking, Blake,” Dawn said as she walked toward Blake.

“It’s not over yet, Dawn,” Blake warned. “There’s more coming.”

Another flock of Spearow were flying toward Blake and Dawn. This time, they were accompanied by a single Fearow.

“That Fearow must be their leader,” Blake remarked. “The flock won’t fight without it. Vaporeon-”

“Piplup, use whirlpool, now!” Dawn commanded before Blake could issue his command for Vaporeon.

Piplup formed a tornado of water and launched it at the flock of Spearow. It also happened to catch the Fearow in the crossfire.

“Now’s your chance, Blake,” Dawn said.

“Raichu, light ‘em up!” Blake commanded.

Raichu unleashed a single, large bolt of thunder at the whirlpool the flock of Spearow and the Fearow were caught in. The thunderbolt caused the whirlpool to explode, sending all the victims of the attack falling to the ground. Once the Fearow hit the ground, Blake knew what to do.

“Pokeball, go!” Blake shouted as he threw a pokeball at the Fearow.

Once the pokeball hit the Fearow, the Fearow went into the pokeball. After a few seconds of shaking, the pokeball locked, confirming that Blake had caught Fearow. The pokeball was then transported back to storage due to Blake already having six Pokemon on hand.

“Great job, Blake,” Dawn said as Blake returned Vaporeon to its pokeball.

“I’m amazed your Piplup was capable of unleashing such a powerful attack,” Blake remarked.

“Well, it’s a very unique Piplup,” Dawn boasted.

“Piplup, Piplup!” Piplup agreed.

“Let’s get out of here,” Blake suggested. “These Spearow won’t be happy once they regain consciousness and realize their leader was caught.”

Blake, Raichu, Dawn and Piplup proceeded to walk toward Pallet Town. They knew the flock of Spearow would be unconscious for quite some time.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

“So, you never told me where you’re from, Dawn,” Blake said as he, Dawn, Raichu and Piplup continued traveling to Pallet Town.

“Twinleaf Town of the Sinnoh Region,” Dawn responded.

“That’s quite a ways away from Kanto,” Blake remarked. “I’m surprised you’ve traveled this far just for a homecoming party.”

“Well, it’s much more than a homecoming party,” Dawn pointed out. “Ash recently became Alola League Champion and many of his friends from Kanto and other regions wanted to throw this party for him. He’s come close to becoming a champion on multiple occasions and he finally did it this time around.”

“I see,” Blake replied. “The people of Pallet Town will probably make a statue in his honor after his victory.”

“I’d like to see that happen,” Dawn agreed. “Do you have any idea how many Pokemon Trainers have had statues made in their honor?”

“Not many,” Blake answered. “One would have to be an unforgettable legend in order for that to happen. It’ll obviously happen for whomever wins the Best of the Best.”

“And you think your hometown will do that for you if you win?” Dawn asked sarcastically.

“If I win, I have no doubt the paparazzi will be all over me nonstop as well,” Blake replied. “That’s why I snuck out of Viridian City to come to Pallet Town. Without them around, I can train without constant distraction.”

“Wow, I never knew a Conference Champion would have such a dislike for the spotlight,” Dawn commented.

“It’s not that,” Blake quickly responded. “It’s the fact that they’ve been asking me some stupid questions for their tabloid articles: ‘Have you ever abused your Pokemon?’ ‘Did you cheat in your match against Laman Humphrey?’ ‘Has any girl tried to start a romantic relationship with you since you became Conference Champion?’ And many more stupid questions that they try to ask me just to make a lot of cash.”

“I can see why it would bother you,” Dawn said, finally having an understanding of how Blake was feeling. “If I were in your shoes, I’d probably leave my hometown temporarily as well.”

“Well, I’m glad you’re not crazy like they are,” Blake replied.

It was dusk when Blake, Dawn, Raichu and Piplup finally reached Pallet Town. No one native to Pallet Town was outdoors at the time when they arrived.

“Well, we finally made it,” Dawn said.

“Yep,” Blake replied. “Raichu and I are going to check into a hotel. I don’t know if you and Piplup have a place to stay for the evening…”

“We do,” Dawn answered.

“Good,” Blake said. “Well, sleep well and enjoy the party tomorrow. As for Raichu and I, we’ve got a lot of training to do along with my other Pokemon. Take care, Dawn.”

Blake and Dawn shook hands before they went their separate way.

*

Before Blake and Raichu went to sleep for the evening, they decided to watch some news on TV.

“There was no sign of Blake Webster at Viridian City today,” the newswoman reported. “His father spoke to various members of the paparazzi for about ten minutes this morning. When asked where Blake was, his father did not give any specific details. It’s believed that Blake is currently in the Viridian Forest traveling to Pewter City.”

“Thank you for getting them off my back,” Blake said in response to what he heard.

“Raichu, Rai,” Raichu agreed.

“In related news, there’s been a significant update to the Best of the Best Tournament that will take place in two months,” the newswoman continued. “Bruno and Agatha of the Kanto Elite Four have withdrawn from the tournament. It is unknown as to why they have withdrawn as this time. Nevertheless, Pokemon League officials have stated that the vacancies will be filled within the next few days and that the tournament will remain with sixty-four entrants. It is unknown at this time how the vacancies will be filled. That’s all the time we have tonight. We’ll see you again tomorrow. Good night.”

Blake turned off the TV after hearing that.

“Well, Raichu, it looks like there’s another twist to this tournament,” Blake said. “But we’ll have plenty of time to prepare. Sleep well. Tomorrow’s the start of our training.”

“Raichu,” Raichu replied.

The lights were turned off. Blake and Raichu went to sleep knowing that their time in Pallet Town was just beginning.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The next day, Blake and Raichu began their training. Blake had all his other Pokemon out. Besides Raichu, Blake’s team he currently had consisted of Hitmonchan, Pidgeot, Vaporeon, Golem and Pinsir. Although Blake had more Pokemon he intended to train for the tournament, he decided this was the team he would use for now.

The first phase of training consisted of jogging along the outskirts of Pallet Town in order to avoid being seen by others. Pidgeot was the only one that didn’t jog due to being a flying Pokemon, so it flew at the speed of all the other Pokemon instead. The jogging session only lasted a few miles.

Next, Blake would train one-on-one with each of his Pokemon on an individual basis while the rest of his team observed. First up was Golem.

“Alright, Golem, we’re going to do some dizzy-resistance exercises,” Blake said. “Curl up into a ball. You know what comes next.”

Golem did as was told. Blake climbed on top of Golem and began running in various directions, causing Golem to roll around in unpredictable paths. This was done because Blake knew what kind of attacks he wanted to focus on with Golem in battle. After about five minutes, Blake hopped off of Golem. Golem uncurled afterwards.

“Good job, Golem,” Blake praised. “Hitmonchan, you’re next. Five minutes of shadowboxing with me.”

Blake and Hitmonchan were side-by-side as they practiced various boxing maneuvers. Although Blake wasn’t as quick as Hitmonchan was, he still did his best to remain synchronized.

“There you are, Blake,” someone called out.

Blake immediately halted shadowboxing with Hitmonchan and turned to the person that called out to him. It was Dawn and Piplup.

“Dawn, I wasn’t expecting you to look for me,” Blake said. “Come to observe my training methods before the homecoming party?”

“That wasn’t my intention,” Dawn answered. “Actually, the homecoming party is about to being and you’re coming with me to it.”

“But I wasn’t invited to it, remember?” Blake reminded Dawn.

“You are now,” Dawn replied. “I told Ash how you saved me from that flock of Spearow yesterday and he decided to let you come to the party as a reward.”

“Well, I-” Blake began.

“I know you’d rather train for the tournament, but you have lots of time to do that,” Dawn interrupted. “One day isn’t going to hurt when you have two months to go.”

After hearing that, Blake knew he had no counter-argument.

“Alright, I’ll come to the party,” Blake conceded before turning to his team. “Looks like we’re cutting this training session short. Everyone except Raichu, return.”

Hitmonchan, Pidgeot, Vaporeon, Golem and Pinsir were all returned to their pokeballs. Blake and Raichu then followed Dawn and Piplup to the homecoming party.

The homecoming party took place at Ash Ketchum’s house. Ash and his mother were hosting the party. The guests at the party that were already there were Misty, Brock, Ritchie, Gary Oak, Professor Oak, May, Max, Drew and Serena. Blake, Raichu, Dawn and Piplup joined the party as everyone was socializing with each other. Ash immediately had his attention on Blake when he saw him.

“Hey, it is him!” Ash said once he saw Blake and shook his hand. “Glad you decided to come, Blake.”

“I wasn’t expecting to be invited to this party, Ash,” Blake replied.

“Well, it’s the least I could do after you saved Dawn and Piplup from all those Spearow yesterday,” Ash pointed out. “Those Spearow bring up some bad memories for me and Pikachu.”

“Pika, Pika,” Pikachu agreed.

“So, what brings you to Pallet Town?” Ash asked Blake.

“Training for the Best of the Best Tournament,” Blake answered. “I wanted to go someplace quiet where there weren’t a lot of people. I had no idea there was going to be a party the day I intended to begin my training here.”

“Well, you gotta expect the unexpected sometimes,” Ritchie said as he joined the conversation. “After all, it happened to me this morning as well.”

“What do you mean?” Blake asked.

“You know those two vacancies in the tournament that were announced last night?” Ritchie responded. “Well, I got a call when I woke up. Apparently, I was selected to fill one of those vacancies.”

“How did that happen?” Blake asked, unsure of how Ritchie was selected.

“They said it was a random selection among those who ranked high enough in previous conference tournaments,” Ritchie explained. “Since I made it to the quarter-finals in a previous Indigo Conference Tournament, I barely qualified for the random selection.”

“Any idea on who the other Trainer is that was selected?” Blake asked.

“Sorry, no,” Ritchie answered.

“Well, I’m sure the tournament will be even more fun now that Ritchie’s in,” Ash remarked.

“Skitty, no!” May called out.

Blake turned around and saw May’s Skitty run toward Raichu. Skitty was in a playful mood and saw Raichu as a potential playmate. Skitty jumped on Raichu and began to play-wrestle with him. Because Raichu was bigger than Skitty, he didn’t have to worry about getting hurt.

“I’m sorry!” May apologized as she took Skitty off of Raichu. “Skitty can be unpredictable at times.”

“That’s okay,” Blake replied. “As long as your Skitty doesn’t try to seriously hurt Raichu, it can play with him all it wants.”

“Oh, okay, then,” May said as she put Skitty down to play with Raichu some more.

“I’m surprised you’re letting your Raichu play with another Pokemon like that,” Ritchie commented.

“Pika,” Sparky, Ritchie’s Pikachu, agreed.

“Well, Raichu’s been through a lot,” Blake pointed out. “Compared to all he’s endured; this is nothing to him.”

“Sounds to me like you’ve known him for a long time,” May replied.

“I have,” Blake confirmed. “He was my first Pokemon.”

“How’d you get him?” Ash asked.

“It’s a long story, but I’ll try to keep it short,” Blake began. “It all started a few years ago when my parents and I were having a picnic at the Viridian Forest. It was a rare occurrence for us since my mother works as an emergency doctor at the Viridian City Pokemon Center. As we were playing frisbee, we came across a Pichu that was badly malnourished. We tried to look for its mother and siblings, but it was all alone. Knowing that its life was in danger, we cut our picnic short and took the Pichu to the Pokemon Center as quickly as we could. When they did some initial tests on it, they told us it only had a one-percent chance at survival. It seemed hopeless. However, that brave little Pichu kept fighting on. Nurse Joy was amazed that it was able to make a full recovery. Without a Trainer, we knew we couldn’t risk Pichu being released back into the wild again. We decided to adopt it as a pet. Eventually, it evolved into a Pikachu. At the time it evolved, I wanted to become a Pokemon Trainer. Pikachu was my starting Pokemon on my journey when the time came for me to start my career. It’s been a very memorable journey so far, and winning the Indigo Conference was the biggest highlight in recent memory.”

“So why evolve your Pikachu into a Raichu?” Ritchie asked.

“Believe it or not, it wanted to become a Raichu,” Blake explained. “When we came across a thunder stone, my Pikachu immediately took it out of my hands and used it to evolve. I guess it wanted to become as strong as possible after my parents and I saved it back at the Viridian Forest.”

“Do you think it did it because it wanted to thank you after all those years of caring for it?” May asked.

“That’s what I’ve been thinking as well,” Blake answered.

“Wow, that’s some story,” Ash remarked.

“Pika,” Pikachu agreed.

“Well, the journey’s not over yet,” Blake pointed out. “Not until Raichu and I say it’s over.”

“You’re starting to sound like me, Blake,” Ash said. “So, how about we have a battle?”

“I had a feeling you were going to challenge me,” Blake replied. “Very well, I’ll accept your challenge. But on two conditions.”

“Hey, everyone!” Ash called out. “We’re going to have a Pokemon battle! Gather around!”

“Don’t you want to know what the conditions are?” Blake asked as everyone gathered.

“Oh, right,” Ash replied. “I was too excited after hearing that you accepted the challenge. What are the conditions?”

“First, it’s going to be one Pokemon per Trainer,” Blake stated. “I don’t want to reveal too many of my secrets.”

“We already know you use the code phrase strategy when you battle!” Max shouted.

“Max, that’s not very nice to blurt it out like that,” May told his brother.

“I see someone’s paid attention to my matches on TV,” Blake commented.

“What’s the second condition?” Ash asked.

“We have to use the same type of Pokemon,” Blake stated. “If anything, the battles I enjoy best are when both sides are evenly matched.”

“Alright, then,” Ash agreed. “What type of Pokemon did you have in mind?”

“How about we both use bug Pokemon?” Blake suggested.

“Ew, gross!” Misty said in disgust. “Battle with another type!”

“What’s wrong with bug Pokemon?” Blake asked Misty.

“Misty’s never liked bug Pokemon,” Ash whispered into Blake’s ear.

“Oh, I see,” Blake replied. “Well, I can tell you there’s no need to be a Scaredy Skitty about bug Pokemon.”

Hearing that caused Misty to step firmly on Blake’s foot, causing Blake to yelp in pain.

“Who are you calling a Scaredy Skitty?” Misty demanded in an annoyed tone.

“Misty, that’s enough!” Brock said. “Let him go.”

Misty took her foot off of Blake’s foot. Blake shook off the pain.

“Sorry about that,” Ash apologized. “Misty’s very sensitive about it.”

“I can tell,” Blake replied.

“We’ll battle with bug Pokemon,” Ash agreed. “Let me get my Heracross and we’ll get the battle underway.”

“I’ll be the referee for the battle,” Brock said.

*

“Well, Jessie, it looks like the perfect opportunity to utilize our newly-built, super-resistant, high-powered Omastar tank on those twerps!” James said as he observed the homecoming party from far away using a pair of binoculars.

“And that blue-haired boy has a Raichu as well,” Jessie replied as she used her own pair of binoculars. “It’ll be a perfect bonus to finally capturing Pikachu and all the Pokemon everyone at the party has.”

“Well, what are we waiting for?” Meowth asked. “Let’s get the tank ready and wreak havoc on those brats!”


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Blake and Ash had their Pokemon ready for the battle. Ash was using Heracross while Blake was using Pinsir. Everyone else was gathered around to witness the battle with Brock acting as the referee for the battle.

“This battle will now begin!” Brock declared. “Fight!”

“Heracross, hyper beam!” Ash commanded.

“Pinsir, into the cellar!” Blake commanded.

As Heracross fired off its hyper beam, Pinsir dug underground to avoid the attack. Pinsir was successful in avoiding the hyper beam.

“Careful, Ash!” Max shouted. “Pinsir’s going to-”

“Quiet, Max!” May scolded as she put her hand over Max’s mouth. “Let them battle without outside advice.”

“Pinsir, antlion!” Blake commanded.

“Heracross, jump!” Ash commanded.

Heracross did as Ash commanded. Pinsir emerged from underneath in attempt to use its pinchers to trap Heracross. However, Heracross barely avoided the pinchers and got some distance from Pinsir.

“Now, Heracross, horn attack!” Ash commanded.

Heracross rammed Pinsir before Pinsir could react in time. The attack knocked Pinsir back and on the ground. Regardless of the hard hit, Pinsir got right back up.

“Hang in there, Pinsir!” Blake said to his Pokemon.

“Hearcross, do it again!” Ash commanded.

“Pinsir, hold your ground!” Blake commanded.

As Heracross attempted another horn attack, Pinsir grabbed onto the horn and stayed on its feet.

“Toss Heracross to the side!” Blake commanded.

Pinsir did as commanded. Heracross quickly got up after hitting the ground.

“Grab on again!” Blake commanded.

Pinsir ran toward Heracross and grabbed onto its horn. Pinsir knew what command Blake was going to issue next.

“Super-Duper-Suplex!” Blake commanded.

Pinsir jumped high into the air with Heracross still in its grasp. Ash knew the impact was going to result in a knockout.

“Heracross, reverse it!” Ash commanded.

Heracross managed to grab onto Pinsir and wrestle for control of the move with both Pokemon in the air.

“Pinsir, regain control!” Blake commanded.

Both Heracross and Pinsir did everything they could to gain control of the move as they were falling to the ground. One second, Heracross was in control. The next second, Pinsir was. Eventually, both Pokemon hit the ground with such force that it caused a small crater. When the dust settled and the view was clear, both Heracross and Pinsir were knocked out.

“Both Pokemon are unable to battle!” Brock ruled. “This battle is a draw!”

“Are you kidding me?!” Max exclaimed.

“That wasn’t supposed to happen,” Blake said as both Heracross and Pinsir were returned to their pokeballs.

“Looks like we’ll need a tiebreaker for this battle,” Ash replied.

“Looks like it,” Blake agreed.

Before Ash and Blake could send out their next Pokemon, the ground started to shake. It was almost as if there were an earthquake. Everyone was having a hard time staying on their feet.

“What’s going on?!” Serena exclaimed.

“It’s an earthquake!” Drew warned.

“No, it’s worse than an earthquake!” Gary shouted as he saw what was happening before everyone else did.

A giant Omastar tank was seen approaching everyone. When it got close enough, it briefly stopped and the ground stopped shaking. It was apparent who was in the tank as both of the eyes of the Omastar tank were transparent.

“It’s Team Rocket!” Dawn shouted once she saw who was driving the Omastar tank.

“You guessed it, twerps!” Meowth replied.

At this point, Team Rocket went on to recite their motto:

“Prepare for trouble!”

“And make it double!”

“To protect the world from devastation!”

“To unite all peoples within our nation!”

“To denounce the evils of truth and love!”

“To extend our reach to the stars above!”

“Jessie!”

“James!”

“Team Rocket, blast off at the speed of light!”

“Surrender now, or prepare to fight!”

“Meowth, that’s right!”

“Who are these wannabe poets?” Blake demanded, oblivious at Team Rocket interrupting the battle that was going on.

“Who are you calling a ‘wannabe poet’?” Jessie replied in an annoyed tone.

“The three of you, apparently,” Blake answered sarcastically.

“It’s clear that you don’t know the greatness that’s Team Rocket!” James said to Blake.

“Careful, Blake!” Ash warned. “They’ve been after us since forever!”

“Just hand over Pikachu and all other Pokemon and we’ll be on our way!” Meowth ordered.

“Pokemon thieves, eh?” Blake commented after hearing Team Rocket’s demand.

“This time, you’re all outmatched!” Jessie declared. “You’ll never destroy our Omastar tank!”

“That’s right!” James agreed. “This tank is bulletproof, bombproof, lightning-proof, fireproof, waterproof, bugproof, rock-proof, ice-proof, psychic-proof, dragon-proof, and virtually invulnerable to any other element imaginable!”

“It ain’t stupid-proof, apparently!” Blake remarked.

“You must be really stupid if you’re going to challenge us!” Jessie responded.

“Don’t do it, Blake!” Dawn pleaded. “There’s no way you can-”

“Trust me, Dawn,” Blake interrupted as he nodded at Raichu. “I’ve got this.”

Blake stepped up toward the Omastar tank that Team Rocket was in.

“This is hilarious!” Meowth laughed. “The blue-haired twerp has no idea what he’s getting into!”

“I’ve dealt with Pokemon thieves before,” Blake said to Team Rocket. “If you think you’re better than them just because you have a tank the shape of an extinct Pokemon, think again. There’s only one way this will end if you don’t turn around and leave, and you’re not going to like it.”

“The only way this will end is when we have Pikachu, your Raichu, and everyone else’s Pokemon,” Jessie replied. “You’re outmatched against us!”

“You mean you’re outmatched against me,” Blake rebutted. “This is your only chance to leave with your dignity intact. Get out of Pallet Town right now or you’re going to have a lot of explaining to do to your insurance agent.”

“Now why would we need insurance on something that’s indestructible?” James asked.

“What a shame, then,” Blake replied. “Looks like you wasted all that money on a tank that’s about to become nothing but scrap metal.”

“Do you even know what the word ‘indestructible’ means?” Meowth laughed.

“I only need one move to destroy your tank,” Blake declared.

“And we only need one shot to take you out!” Jessie rebutted. “Hand over Raichu and the rest of your Pokemon or else!”

“Raichu, blow up their gas tank!” Blake commanded.

After hearing that, Team Rocket turned their heads to the right and saw that Raichu had already removed the safety cover to the gas tank of the Omastar tank. Team Rocket’s eyes grew in fear as they realized Blake had distracted them long enough for Raichu to set up an attack. They knew what was about to happen.

“Uh, oh,” Meowth muttered.

Raichu unleashed a bolt of lightning at the gas tank. The gas tank exploded, causing the Omastar tank to explode as well. Team Rocket was sent flying.

“How can this be?” Jessie complained. “We were only in this fanfic for a few minutes!”

“Looks like our time in the spotlight just ran out!” James added.

“Looks like Team Rocket’s blasting off again!” Jessie, James and Meowth shouted as they disappeared into the sky.

The fire from the destroyed Omastar tank was starting to spread from the explosion. Blake wasted no time sending out his Vaporeon in an attempt to put out the fire. Dawn’s Piplup, Misty’s Staryu and May’s Wartortle assisted in extinguishing the fire. It only took about a minute for the fire to be put out.

“Sorry about the mess,” Blake said as Vaporeon, Staryu and Wartortle were returned to their pokeballs.

“Are you crazy?!” Misty exclaimed at Blake. “You could have been killed!”

“With the way those clowns were acting, I was never in any real danger,” Blake rebutted. “If they were going to shoot me, they would have done it a lot sooner.”

“I don’t understand, how did you know your plan was going to work?” Dawn asked.

“Raichu and I have seen enough action movies to know that no gas tank is indestructible,” Blake explained. “I knew that by distracting them long enough, Raichu would find out where the gas tank was, remove the safety covering and get enough distance to avoid getting hurt from the explosion before attacking.”

“Well, thanks for saving us, Blake,” Ash said.

“Don’t mention it,” Blake replied. “So, you want to keep our battle result a draw? They kinda killed the mood.”

“Sure,” Ash agreed.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

The homecoming party resumed. Everyone was socializing like they were before the Pokemon battle between Blake and Ash and the attempted attack from Team Rocket. The TV was on in anticipation for updates concerning the Best of the Best Tournament.

“I’ve never seen anyone act that cold toward Team Rocket before,” Brock said to Blake. “Why act that way?”

“Well, I’m very sensitive against those who try to steal Pokemon,” Blake explained. “After all, I was nearly the victim of Pokemon theft when I was at Cinnabar Island the night before I battled the Gym Leader there and won the Volcano Badge. It’s a good thing I keep Raichu out of the pokeball at all times. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have woken me up from a Pokemon thief breaking into my hotel room in the middle of the night. It was a close call. Not only did the thief fail to steal any of my Pokemon, he was quickly arrested after the botched attempt. Now he’s doing hard time behind bars.”

“Sorry you had that bad experience,” Brock replied.

“Don’t be,” Blake said to Brock. “I didn’t have any of my Pokemon stolen, the guy that tried to steal them got what he deserved, everything worked out in the end. I just wish we could have gotten Team Rocket thrown in jail as well for what they tried to do a while ago.”

“Hey, they’re about to make an announcement!” Ritchie called to everyone.

Everyone gathered around the TV. The camera was on the newswoman.

“We now have an update as to who will fill the second vacancy in the Best of the Best Tournament,” the newswoman announced. “He’s from Saffron City of the Kanto Region and is one of the most controversial Pokemon Trainers today. The Trainer is none other than Laman Humphrey.”

Blake’s eyes grew when Laman’s name was said. It was someone he was all too familiar with.

“Hey, Blake, isn’t that the guy you beat for the Indigo Conference Championship?” Max asked.

“It is,” Blake confirmed. “I can’t believe that trash-talker actually got selected to fill the second vacancy.”

“Sounds to me like he shouldn’t be considered one of the best,” Ash said.

“Don’t be fooled, Ash,” Blake replied. “Laman Humphrey can back up his trash talk. He didn’t lose a single Pokemon until the quarter-finals of the tournament. And unlike most Pokemon Trainers, he actually feeds off of people booing him. It makes him battle a lot better.”

“Well, if you could beat him, I’m sure almost everyone else at the Best of the Best Tournament can,” Max pointed out.

“Nothing’s for sure at any tournament,” Blake rebutted. “For all we know, he might catch a Legendary Pokemon before the tournament and use it to gain a huge advantage.”

“He’s right, Max,” Gary agreed. “No one expected me to lose before the Sweet Sixteen round of the Indigo Conference Tournament I competed in. But it happened. The bottom line is anyone can get eliminated in any round of a tournament.”

“If Laman and I do face each other again, I don’t know what’s going to happen,” Blake said.

“What are the odds of that happening?” Max asked.

“Stranger things have happened before,” Ash pointed out.

“Yeah, like me being the other wildcard,” Ritchie added.

“No one can predict what will happen at this tournament,” Blake said. “Not even me.”


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Giovanni had various members of Team Rocket assembled at the main meeting hall at Team Rocket Headquarters. The members of Team Rocket saluted Giovanni as he walked by them. When Giovanni stepped up to the podium in front of everyone, he made sure the microphone was on before addressing them.

“My fellow members of the great Team Rocket,” Giovanni began. “Today is the start of a new era. We may have suffered some unforeseeable setbacks in the past, but those days are long behind us. We will no longer look back at our failures. Rather, we will look forward to our glorious future. Our future will be one in which everyone on this world will bend their collective knees to us. We will do the thinking for everyone. If anyone dares to dissent against us, we will swiftly eliminate them. We now have the weapon necessary to force the cooperation of every government official on this world. If they refuse to see things from our point of view, we will not hesitate to use it against them. The world will finally change…for the better!”

The various members of Team Rocket cheered after that statement. After a few seconds, Giovanni raised his hand to hush the applause.

“You’re right about one thing!” someone called out. “The world will finally change for the better! It just won’t be a change you expect!”

“Who said that?” Giovanni demanded, knowing it wasn’t a member of Team Rocket. “Who’s there?”

“I’m right here!” the person answered.

Everyone turned toward the voice. There was a man dressed in a Beedrill costume at the entrance of the main meeting hall.

“How dare you invade the sanctity of this base!” Giovanni said in an oblivious tone. “You will pay dearly for your trespass!”

“Hand over your weapon and no one will get hurt!” the man in the Beedrill costume ordered.

“This is laughable,” Giovanni replied. “One person cannot destroy the combined might of Team Rocket! Destroy him, my comrades!”

As the members of Team Rocket brought out their Pokemon, the man in the Beedrill costume activated a supersonic frequency emitter on his left hip. A second later, an entire swarm of Beedrill entered the main meeting hall. The swarm instantly began attacking the various Pokemon that the members of Team Rocket had out. As much as they tried to fight back against the swarm, Team Rocket was completely overwhelmed. The man in the Beedrill costume walked by as all of Team Rocket’s Pokemon were gradually being taken out. The swarm of Beedrill then went after the members of Team Rocket afterwards. Team Rocket was forced to take cover to avoid the same fate their Pokemon had. Giovanni was the only one left standing.

“Go, my Pokemon!” Giovanni said as he deployed all his Pokemon from their pokeballs. “Defend your master!”

Giovanni’s Pokemon were primarily rock and ground type. Despite this, the swarm of Beedrill was way too much for them to fight back against. They were taken out in a matter of seconds.

The man in the Beedrill costume pressed another button on his supersonic frequency emitter. The swarm of Beedrill created a dome that surrounded Giovanni and the man in the Beedrill costume. Giovanni knew he was in danger and at the mercy of the mystery man.

“You have a lot of audacity to execute this attack,” Giovanni admitted. “I welcome you to join the great Team Rocket as a reward.”

“I have no desire to join your pathetic team,” the man in the Beedrill costume replied. “You’re going to surrender your weapon to me this instant and let me leave without anyone following me. If you value your pathetic life, you’ll do as I say.”

Giovanni knew he had no other option. If he didn’t do as ordered, he would suffer a slow and painful death.

“What are you going to do with my weapon?” Giovanni demanded.

The man in the Beedrill costume approached Giovanni. When he was right in front of him, he took off his mask. The man standing in front of Giovanni was none other than Paul.

“I’m going to end the cruelty forever,” Paul declared.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

The day after the homecoming party, everyone who attended gathered at Ash’s house. They wanted to say their goodbyes to Ash before they went on their ways back to their homes.

“It was nice seeing you again, Ash,” Gary said. “I’m looking forward to seeing you at the tournament.”

“You’re going to be there in person?” Ash asked.

“Gary and I managed to get tickets to the opening day,” Professor Oak explained. “We’ll be there to support you during your match.”

“Good luck, Ash,” Gary said as Ash shook hands with him and Professor Oak before leaving.

“They’re not the only ones who will be in the stands opening day,” Dawn said as she approached Ash. “I’ll be there as well.”

“That’s great news,” Ash replied. “I’m looking forward to seeing you there.”

“Take care, Ash,” Dawn said as she and Ash high-fived each other before turning toward Blake. “And Blake, I’ll be there to support you as well. I enjoyed getting to know you.”

“Same here,” Blake agreed. “Be safe traveling back to Sinnoh.”

“I will,” Dawn replied as she and Blake high-fived each other before leaving with Piplup.

“Unfortunately, May, Max and I won’t be able to make it,” Drew said to Ash and Blake. “But we’ll watch all the battles on TV from Hoenn.”

“I’m sure you’ll still enjoy watching the tournament,” Blake replied. “My battles especially. I’ll make sure you remember them.”

“Take care,” May said as she, Drew and Max exchanged handshakes with Ash and Blake. “We’ll see you when we see you.”

As May, Drew and Max left, it was Brock’s turn.

“You two had a great battle,” Brock said. “It’s too bad I couldn’t see you both battle any further.”

“Well, there’s a good chance Blake and I will battle again in the later rounds of the tournament,” Ash pointed out. “It seems to happen in almost every tournament I’m in when there’s another Trainer that has similar goals to me.”

“If you two do battle again, and I believe the both of you will, it’ll be even better than the first one,” Brock predicted. “I’ll see you again soon, Ash.”

As Brock left, it was Serena’s turn.

“I had a fun time at the party,” Serena said to Ash. “Thanks for inviting me.”

“No problem, Serena,” Ash replied.

“If you ever have any more parties here, I’ll be sure to come to them as well,” Serena informed Ash. “Take care.”

Before Serena began to leave, she kissed Ash on the lips. This romantic act infuriated Misty who happened to witness the kiss.

“Hey, what do you think you’re doing?!” Misty demanded in an angered tone.

“Oh, I didn’t know you had feelings for him as well,” Serena replied smugly.

“What are you talking about?” Misty replied. “It’s not like I’m his girlfriend!”

“Then why the jealous rage, Misty?” Serena asked as she walked away.

“I’ll show you what a jealous rage is!” Misty yelled as she chased Serena. “Get back here!”

Serena couldn’t help but laugh as she ran from Misty.

“That was an awkward goodbye,” Blake commented. “So, I guess you’re next, Ritchie?”

“Actually, I’ve decided to stay here in Pallet Town to train with Ash for the tournament,” Ritchie answered. “So, I’ll let you say your goodbyes.”

“I’m not going back home yet, remember?” Blake reminded Ritchie. “That’s why I came here to Pallet Town. I came to train alone without being harassed by the paparazzi in Viridian City. If I go back, I won’t be able to train my team the way I intended to. I’d be constantly bombarded with requests for impromptu interview requests that I don’t want to give. You wouldn’t understand. You’ve never had the media get under your skin before.”

Ritchie wasn’t sure what to say. However, Ash knew how to respond.

“You know what all the critics were saying about me before I won the Alola League?” Ash asked Blake. “They said that I’d never win the big one. ‘He may be a top contender, but he’ll never win a tournament.’ ‘Being a champion just isn’t his destiny.’ But Pokemon Trainers like you and I are motivated to prove the critics wrong. We don’t let them decide who succeeds and who fails. We make those decisions through our battles. That’s why it’s so glorious when Pokemon Trainers become champions.”

“Well, I’ll be,” Blake replied, astonished by what Ash just said. “I guess you do get it after all.”

“Blake, I know what it takes to become a champion,” Ash continued. “You’ve recently learned what it takes as well. I know you’d rather train alone, but going that course will only get you so far. If you could become Indigo Conference Champion on your own, just imagine how much stronger you’d become by training alongside the Alola League Champion. Nothing is stronger than the power of friendship. Well, except for love, but that’s another story. Anyway, let’s train together so we can show everyone else what real champions are made of.”

It only took a few seconds for Blake to consider Ash’s offer.

“I accept,” Blake decided.

“Then what are we waiting for?” Ritchie asked. “Let’s get to work.”

It was at this point that Blake, Ash, Ritchie, Pikachu, Sparky and Raichu went to a quiet part of Pallet Town to begin their training for the Best of the Best Tournament.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Jon Dickson was with his mother in the waiting room of the Sento Cherry Town General Hospital. He was awaiting the doctor to give an update on his father’s condition after receiving treatment two weeks following a surgery to remove a cancerous tumor. While Jon and his mother were waiting, they were watching an interview on television. Laman Humphrey was the one being interviewed.

“There’s been a lot of talk concerning the Best of the Best Tournament as well as who will win it,” the woman interviewing Laman began. “How are you preparing for this tournament, Laman?”

“Ever since I was invited to this tournament as a wildcard, I’ve been studying virtually every Pokemon Trainer that’s going to be in it,” Laman answered. “I’ve seen highlights of their matches, I know their tendencies of what they’re likely to do, and I’ve assembled a team that will counter every possible Trainer I’ll battle. This tournament will be a slam dunk victory for me.”

“That’s quite a big claim considering who else is in the tournament,” the woman replied. “How do you think the other competitors will respond to that statement?”

“First off, let me just say I don’t believe they have any chance of beating me, no matter what they do,” Laman said. “They may think they’ll have an advantage over me, but I know how to battle against the best. Every tournament I’ve competed in, I’ve made it to at least the semi-finals. Now, I’ll admit in those past tournaments, I wasn’t as strong or as strategic as I am now. With all the experience I’ve gained from past tournaments, I’m a shoe-in to win the hundred million dollars as well as the title of Best of the Best.”

“There’s been a lot of debate from the last tournament you competed in when you battled Blake Webster for the-” the woman continued.

“Blake Webster is a false champion,” Laman interrupted with a slight tone of contempt. “The referee should have disqualified him for having his Raichu use an EMP on my Magnezone, which was an illegal move, by the way. The referee claimed the rulebook didn’t say anything about EMPs being illegal, but the rulebook apparently doesn’t say it’s allowed, either. If it were any other referee, Blake would have been disqualified and I’d be Indigo Conference Champion. But that’s in the past. If Blake and I face each other again, I promise you he will lose to me.”

As the interview continued, the doctor treating Jon’s father entered the waiting room and approached Jon and his mother.

“How’s my husband, Doctor?” Jon’s mother asked.

“You can ask him yourself,” the doctor replied. “You can see him now.”

Jon and his mother followed the doctor to the room that Jon’s father was in. Jon’s father was still in his hospital bed, conscious and alert.

“How are you feeling?” Jon asked his father.

“Better than I was a few moments ago, Jon,” Jon’s father answered. “Pray you never have to undergo any kind of surgery in your life. It’s never pleasant.”

“How much longer will my husband have to be here?” Jon’s mother asked the doctor.

“He should be able to leave the hospital in about a week,” the doctor answered. “However, I strongly suggest that he should stay in town for the next few months just in case there’s an unexpected setback.”

“That means he won’t be able to come to the Best of the Best Tournament to see me compete,” Jon pointed out.

“Unfortunately, yes,” the doctor confirmed. “Treatment and recovery after removing a cancerous tumor has to be taken very seriously. Left unchecked, another tumor could grow in the area where surgery was performed. That’s something we don’t want to happen.”

“It won’t be the same without-” Jon began.

“I’ll be there in spirit, Jon,” Jon’s father interrupted. “Don’t worry about me. You need to focus on the tournament. For all we know, there may not be another Best of the Best Tournament. This is your chance to prove to the entire world that you belong amongst the most elite Pokemon Trainers. We Dicksons may seem like ordinary people, but we’re capable of accomplishing extraordinary things. You won the Silver Conference twice. Not many Pokemon Trainers can claim they’ve won even one Conference Championship. If you win the Best of the Best Tournament, not only will you cement the family’s legacy, you’ll be in the Pokemon Hall of Fame for sure.”

“Well, after the tournament, I’ll come back here to Sento Cherry Town and help you in any way I can,” Jon committed. “I don’t care if I have to take time off from being a Pokemon Trainer.”

“I don’t want you to halt your career because of me,” Jon’s father replied. “No matter what happens at the tournament, no matter where you place in it, I want you to continue your quest. Promise me you’ll do that.”

“I promise,” Jon agreed.

“Very good,” Jon’s father said. “But if you do win the tournament, I’d appreciate it if some of the prize money went to supporting me during this trying time.”

“Of course,” Jon replied with a slight chuckle. “Anything to help.”


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Ash, his mother, Blake, Ritchie, Pikachu, Raichu and Sparky were having dinner at Ash’s house. It would be the last time they would have dinner in Pallet Town before leaving for the Indigo Plateau to compete in the Best of the Best Tournament.

“So, how did training go?” Ash’s mother asked.

“It went very well,” Ash answered. “We’re definitely ready for the tournament.”

“I should also thank you for letting me stay over at your house during this time,” Blake said. “You helped me save a lot of money that I would have used at the hotel.”

“It’s not the first time I’ve had guests stay over here,” Ash’s mother replied. “More that likely, it won’t be the last.”

The phone started ringing. Ash’s mother went to pick it up.

“I hope we don’t have to face each other in the opening round,” Ritchie said.

“Same here,” Blake agreed. “If we have to face each other, I’d prefer if it happened during the later rounds.”

“Ash, someone’s on the phone for you,” Ash’s mother informed her son.

Ash stood up and was handed the phone, unsure of who it was on the other end.

“Hello,” Ash said.

“Ash, it’s me Blake,” the voice over the phone began.

“What?!” Ash exclaimed. “How can that be? I’m looking right at you as we speak.”

“It’s an imposter,” the voice over the phone claimed. “I’m the real Blake. I need you to meet me at-”

“He can’t be an imposter,” Ash interrupted. “There’s only one Blake, and I’m looking at him right now.”

“What are you, stupid?” the voice over the phone rudely asked. “There’s no way I’m where you’re looking at!”

“What are you talking about?” Ash demanded.

Blake couldn’t help but give himself a facepalm. It was obvious to him who it was talking to Ash on the phone.

“Oh, for crying out loud, gimme that!” Blake said in frustration as he took the phone from Ash. “Team Rocket, it’s Blake Webster. The REAL Blake Webster. You know, the blue-haired twerp whose Raichu blew up your Omastar tank? Listen, you wannabe poets, if you don’t stop harassing Ash Ketchum this instant, I am going to personally go over to where you’re at, have all my Pokemon use the three of you as punching bags, throw you into the ocean and have you get eaten by a Gyarados!”

“Oh, you don’t have to be so mean like that,” James whined.

“Oh, go home and cry to your mommy, you thumb-sucking loser!” Blake replied before hanging up the phone.

“Wow, how’d you know it was them?” Ash asked.

“It was a poor imitation, not to mention all the times you told me about Team Rocket trying to trick you in their attempts to steal your Pikachu,” Blake explained. “Next time someone tries to prank-call you, just hang up on them.”

“I will,” Ash replied. “Thanks for the tip.”

*

After dinner, Ash, Blake, Ritchie, Pikachu, Raichu and Sparky were in Ash’s room getting ready for bed. They wanted to get an early rest to wake up early to leave for the Indigo Plateau the next morning.

“So, I’ve been doing some thinking during our training over the past few weeks,” Blake said.

“What about?” Ritchie asked.

“For starters, what I’m going to do after the tournament,” Blake answered. “I don’t want to continue to get hounded by the paparazzi in Viridian City, so I thought that regardless of how I do at the tournament, I’d journey in another region and see how I do there compared to Kanto.”

“What region did you have in mind?” Ash asked.

“I haven’t decided yet,” Blake answered. “Johto, maybe Sinnoh, or perhaps Hoenn. One thing is for certain, after the Best of the Best Tournament, I’ll be outside of Kanto for a while.”

“Well, I know you’ll have a great time in any of those regions,” Ash replied. “I made some close friends in all three of those regions. Not to mention I also caught some powerful Pokemon as well. I’m sure you’ll do the same.”

“I’ve also been thinking about the prize money that will go to the winner of the tournament,” Blake continued. “I have a proposition for both of you.”

“What is it?” Ritchie asked.

“If one of us were to win the tournament, how would you feel about splitting the money three ways?” Blake suggested. “I know if I were to win, there’s no way I’d be able to go through one hundred million dollars in my lifetime alone.”

It only took Ash and Ritchie a few seconds to think about what Blake had suggested.

“You know, that sounds like a good idea,” Ash said.

“Same here,” Ritchie agreed. “Money will come and go, but friendship lasts much longer. We’ve had such a great time training together and learning from each other. Splitting the money would be the best thing to do between the three of us.”

“Glad you both see things that way,” Blake replied. “So, after the tournament, regardless of which one of us wins, we’ll each get thirty-three million dollars.”

“That only adds up to ninety-nine million dollars,” Ritchie pointed out. “What about the other million dollars?”

“We’ll donate it to charity to help some poor kids who want to become Pokemon Trainers one day,” Blake explained. “After all, one of those poor kids could become just as great as us when they grow up. Who better to help such kids achieve that dream than us?”

“I like how you think,” Ash replied.

“Well, we should get to bed,” Ritchie suggested. “Tomorrow, we head for the Indigo Plateau. Once we reach that place, we’ll check into a hotel there and prepare for the biggest tournament of our lives.”

“Sleep well, my friends,” Blake said.

Ash turned off the lights. Ash, Blake, Ritchie, Pikachu, Raichu and Sparky went to sleep. They knew their biggest challenge was just ahead.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Paul was disguised as an electrician at the Indigo Plateau Stadium. He was working on a relay box directly underneath a section of bleachers. However, instead of doing maintenance like most electricians would, he was setting a remote explosive inside the relay box. Once it was set, he closed and locked the relay box. As he was about to walk away, he saw a security guard approaching him.

“What are you doing over here?” the security guard demanded.

“Supervisor asked me to double-check the relay boxes,” Paul quickly answered. “We don’t want there to be any unexpected blackouts during the tournament.”

“Is everything alright with them?” the security guard asked.

“The last relay box has been accounted for,” Paul reported. “There shouldn’t be any problems.”

“Good,” the security guard said. “You know your way back?”

“Of course,” Paul answered.

“Alright, then,” the security guard replied. “Report back to your supervisor.”

The security guard continued his duties. Paul went he own way.

“Pathetic moron,” Paul muttered to himself.

*

All sixty-four competitors for the Best of the Best Tournament were assembled in the conference room at the Indigo Plateau Stadium. They were awaiting the announcement of the tournament rules as it was usual standard procedure before any tournament.

“See any familiar faces, Ash?” Blake asked.

“Some,” Ash answered. “I’ve faced some of them in the past. If I have to battle them, I’ll know what to expect.”

Before anything else could be said, Mr. Goodshow was seen approaching the podium.

“This is it,” Ritchie said.

Mr. Goodshow stepped up to the podium to greet everyone and announce the tournament rules. Everyone else was quiet.

“Trainers, I want to welcome all of you to the Best of the Best Tournament,” Mr. Goodshow began. “Over the next week, you’ll be competing for the title of Best of the Best as well as one hundred million dollars. I expect each and every one of you to battle at your absolute best as this tournament will also be televised worldwide. I will now go over the tournament rules. First, this will be a single-elimination tournament. If you lose a battle, you’re out of the tournament, plain and simple. All battles are going to be fought on a neutral battlefield. Pokemon exchanges during a battle are allowed. The first three rounds of the tournament are going to be three-on-three battles. When we reach the quarterfinals, we will then go to six-on-six battles, but there will not be a five-minute break at the halfway point. The last Pokemon Trainer standing will win one hundred million dollars and the title of Best of the Best. Any questions?”

“Yeah, how are we going to determine who battles who in the opening round?” Blake asked.

“For this tournament, we’re going to use a different approach,” Mr. Goodshow explained. “For the opening round, everyone is going to draw a card from a deck of sixty-four that the tournament official standing next to me is holding. The card you draw will either be red or green. Whatever card you draw, that is the locker room you are assigned to for the opening round. All battles in the opening round are going to be red vs. green. When your name is called in your assigned locker room, you will report to the battlefield for your battle. You won’t know who you’ll face until you meet your opponent on the battlefield. However, I can tell you that those in your assigned locker room will not be possible opponents for the opening round. I suggest you get to know everyone in your assigned locker room so you can rule out who you’ll face. Does that answer your question?”

“Yes, it does,” Blake answered.

“Good,” Mr. Goodshow replied. “Any more questions?”

There was a short silence. It was clear that no one else had any questions.

“In that case, please line up to draw your card to determine your assigned locker room,” Mr. Goodshow instructed. “Oh, and one more thing. If you draw a red card, you get to call the coin toss before the start of your battle to determine who will send out their starting Pokemon first. Just thought you’d like to know.”

The competitors lined up to draw a card from the tournament official. One by one, they each drew their card from the deck. Another tournament official nearby took note as to who drew a red or green card.

Eventually, it was Blake’s turn to draw a card from the deck. He drew a green card. After the other tournament official took note of what card Blake drew, Blake approached Ash and Ritchie who had already drawn their cards.

“What color did you draw, Blake?” Ritchie asked.

“Green,” Blake told Ash and Ritchie. “What about you two?”

Ash and Ritchie both showed their cards to Blake. Both of them were green as well. Blake breathed a sigh of relief.

“Thank goodness we’re not facing each other today,” Blake commented.

“Well, let’s see who else is in the green locker room,” Ash said.

*

Blake, Ash, Ritchie, Raichu, Pikachu and Sparky entered the green locker room. They decided to take Mr. Goodshow’s advice and check out who else was in there.

“It’s been a long time, Ash,” someone next to them said.

They turned to see who it was. It was none other than the Pyramid King himself, Brandon.

“Brandon, I wasn’t expecting you to be in the tournament,” Ash said. “How’d you get in?”

“There was a vacancy created when someone had to withdraw last week,” Brandon answered. “I know it’s unusual for them to ask someone from the Battle Frontier to fill in the vacancy, but I thought it would be nice to try something new for a change.”

“I thought Gym Leaders and Frontier Brains were ineligible to fill in vacancies for this tournament,” Blake pointed out.

“They decided to make an exception with time running short to avoid someone getting a first-round bye,” Brandon explained. “They have the right to change tournament policy if circumstances warrant it.”

“I see,” Blake replied.

“So, Ash, who are your friends?” Brandon asked.

“Blake and Ritchie,” Ash answered. “We’ve been training together for this tournament over the past two months. I can confidently say we’re ready for whatever challenge awaits us.”

“So am I,” Brandon replied. “It would be an honor to win the title of Best of the Best. On the other hand, I’m not too concerned about the prize money.”

“You don’t care about being set for life?” Blake asked.

“NO!” Brandon declared loudly, somewhat startling Blake.

“You don’t have to say it like that, you know,” Blake replied.

“He always does, Blake,” Ash pointed out. “That’s what makes him so unique.”

“So, what about in battle?” Blake asked Brandon. “What makes you so unique in battle?”

“I have legendary Pokemon that assist me in battle,” Brandon answered.

“In that case, I’m glad I’m not facing you in the opening round,” Blake replied.

“You should be glad you’re not facing me instead,” someone else said.

Blake recognized that voice. He, Ash, Ritchie and Brandon turned to the voice and saw who it was.

“Laman Humphrey!” Blake said.

“In the flesh,” Laman added.

“What do you want?” Ritchie demanded.

“I want to let you know that none of you have any chance of winning this tournament,” Laman answered.

“You mean like you said I had no chance of beating you for the Indigo Conference Championship three months ago?” Blake reminded Laman.

“That was a fluke,” Laman claimed. “But I’m no longer concerned with that tournament. I have a chance to win something bigger. So, Blake, you can have the Indigo Conference Championship. It won’t mean anything once this tournament is over. The hundred million dollars and the title of Best of the Best are mine. No one will beat me this time.”

“I wouldn’t boast with so much pride if I were you,” Brandon advised Laman. “Paul thought the same way when he first battled me and he lost that battle without defeating any of my Pokemon.”

“Paul was a pathetic sore loser!” Laman replied. “I know, I was his last opponent. I beat him with Pokemon he deemed pathetic before the battle. Afterwards, I said that he was the one who was pathetic because he couldn’t adapt quickly enough to changing circumstances. We got in a fight afterwards and I told him that if he couldn’t take trash talk or creative criticism, he should quit being a Pokemon Trainer. I was surprised that he actually quit right then and there. But if you ask me, he never deserved to be a Pokemon Trainer in the first place.”

“Nice story,” Blake remarked. “But it still doesn’t address Brandon’s point that you have too much pride.”

“Unlike most Pokemon Trainers, I’m capable of backing it up,” Laman pointed out. “Everyone who faces me in this tournament will witness that firsthand. And when all is said and done, everyone will finally accept the fact that I am the absolute best Pokemon Trainer who ever lived!”

There was a brief silence after that statement.

“Does anyone care what this guy thinks?” Ritchie asked sarcastically.

“NO!” Brandon loudly declared.

Before another word could be said, a tournament official entered the locker room.

“Trainers, the tournament is about to begin!” the tournament official announced. “When your name is called, you’ll report to the battlefield immediately. The first Trainer in this locker room to battle is…Pyramid King Brandon!”

“Good luck, Brandon,” Ash said.

Brandon left the locker room and began to make his way toward the battlefield.

“How come he gets to go on before me?” Laman complained.

“Age before beauty, Laman,” Blake replied.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Brandon’s entrance music played throughout the stadium as he emerged from the tunnel. The fans in attendance were on their feet cheering as they knew the tournament was about to begin, knowing as well that they were going to see someone that they don’t often see on TV.

“Ladies and gentlemen, this is the opening battle of the Best of the Best Tournament!” the battlefield announcer said through the PA system. “Introducing first, from the Kanto Region, he is the strongest Frontier Brain of the Battle Frontier, the Pyramid King, Brandon!”

Once Brandon reached the center of the battlefield, his music stopped and his opponent’s entrance music played throughout the stadium. Brandon saw who his opponent was coming out of the entrance tunnel.

“And his opponent, from Mauville City of the Hoenn Region, he is an Ever Grande Conference Champion, Tyson!” the battlefield announcer said through the PA system.

As Tyson’s fans cheered for him, Tyson, accompanied by his Meowth, approached Brandon at the center of the battlefield. Both Trainers shook hands as Tyson’s entrance music stopped.

“I didn’t think I’d be facing you in the opening round,” Tyson said to Brandon.

“Young man, you have to be prepared for anything in this tournament,” Brandon replied.

“Alright Trainers, you both know the rules,” the referee told both Brandon and Tyson. “I expect a clean battle from both of you. Tyson, since you drew a red card, you get to call the coin toss.”

“Heads,” Tyson decided.

The referee tossed the coin into the air. When it hit the ground, it landed on tails.

“Sorry, it’s tails,” the referee said. “Brandon, do you want to send out your starting Pokemon first or second?”

“I’ll go first,” Brandon decided.

“Brandon will send out his starting Pokemon first,” the referee announced. “Trainers, head to your endzones and prepare for battle. Good luck to both of you.”

Both Brandon and Tyson went to their respective endzones. When they got to their endzones, they both hand a pokeball in hand to send out their starting Pokemon.

“Regirock, I need your assistance!” Brandon declared as he threw his pokeball out.

Regirock emerged from its pokeball, ready for battle.

“Let’s go, Hariyama!” Tyson declared as he threw his pokeball out.

Hariyama emerged from its pokeball, ready for battle.

“This battle will now begin!” the referee announced. “Fight!”

“Regirock, stone edge!” Brandon commanded.

“Hariyama, defend yourself!” Tyson commanded.

As Regirock launched several rock projectiles at Hariyama, Hariyama put its large hands in front of itself to ward off the projectiles. Regirock was wide open for a counterattack.

“Now, Hariyama, brick break!” Tyson commanded.

Hariyama’s attack landed directly on Regirock’s chest. Regirock staggered a few steps backwards before regaining composure.

“Counter with focus punch!” Brandon commanded.

Regirock’s right arm smashed Hariyama in the face, causing Hariyama to fall to the ground. Nevertheless, Hariyama got right back up.

“Hariyama, respond with arm thrust!” Tyson commanded.

“Regirock, use shock wave!” Brandon commanded.

As Hariyama got close enough to use arm thrust, Regirock unleashed its shock wave at close range. Hariyama couldn’t avoid it in time and felt the shock wave throughout its body. When the shock wave subsided, Hariyama fell to the ground, unable to move.

“Hariyama is unable to battle!” the referee declared. “Tyson is down to two Pokemon!”

Hariyama was returned to its pokeball.

“Let’s go, Metagross!” Tyson declared as he threw out another pokeball.

Metagross emerged from its pokeball, ready to battle.

“Metagross, use psychic on Regirock!” Tyson commanded.

Metagross used its psychic powers to lift Regirock from the ground. Once Regirock reached a high-enough elevation, it was dropped back to the ground, landing hard on its back in the process. Regirock was able to get up, but Brandon knew it couldn’t take much more.

“Regirock, return!” Brandon commanded as Regirock went back into its pokeball. “Registeel, I need your assistance!”

Brandon threw out another pokeball. Registeel emerged from the pokeball, ready to battle.

“Registeel, flash cannon!” Brandon commanded.

Registeel fired its flash cannon. It was a direct hit on Metagross. Nevertheless, Metagross remained on its feet.

“Metagross, use meteor mash!” Tyson commanded.

“Registeel, prepare to use iron head!” Brandon commanded.

As Metagross was about to hit with its meteor mash, Registeel’s body was surrounded by the iron head shield. The impact from the meteor mash was reversed back at Metagross in tandem with the iron head attack. Metagross was knocked on its back in an unconscious state.

“Metagross is unable to battle!” the referee declared. “Tyson is down to one Pokemon!”

Metagross was returned to its pokeball. With only one Pokemon left in the battle and knowing what else Brandon would use, Tyson only had one option of which Pokemon to use.

“Well, Meowth, it looks like it’s up to you,” Tyson said to his Meowth. “Good luck.”

Meowth walked onto the battlefield. Although the odds were against him, Meowth knew he had to fight his hardest.

“Registeel, return!” Brandon commanded as Registeel went back into its pokeball. “Regice, I need your assistance!”

Brandon threw out another pokeball. Regice emerged from the pokeball, ready for battle.

“Meowth, use fury swipes!” Tyson commanded.

“Regice, use focus punch!” Brandon commanded.

As Meowth was clawing away at Regice, Regice responded with a focus punch, sending Meowth flying and hitting the ground hard. Despite the hard hit, Meowth got up right away.

“Hang in there, Meowth!” Tyson encouraged his Pokemon. “Respond with iron tail!”

Meowth was quick with his attack. With his tail temporary encased in iron, it landed a direct hit on Regice. Regice staggered back a few steps before regaining its composure.

“Regice, use ice beam!” Brandon commanded.

Regice’s ice beam managed to hit Meowth. When Meowth was hit, his body was completely encased in ice.

“Oh, no!” Tyson said in shock, knowing what was going to happen next.

“Zap cannon!” Brandon commanded.

Regice fired a single projectile at high speed. When it hit, the ice that encased Meowth exploded. When the dust settled, it was obvious to everyone watching that Meowth was knocked out cold.

“Meowth is unable to battle!” the referee declared. “Brandon advances to the next round!”

The fans in attendance cheered after the great battle they just witnessed. Regice was returned to its pokeball. Tyson rushed toward Meowth to check up on it.

“It’s okay, Meowth,” Tyson said as he cradled Meowth in his arms. “You did your best.”

“Young man, thanks for putting up a good effort,” Brandon said as he approached Tyson. “I hope we can battle each other again in the near-future. Under…more favorable circumstances.”

“I look forward to it, Brandon,” Tyson replied as he and Brandon shook hands.

*

Brandon walked back into the green locker room. Most of the Trainers in the locker room gave him a round of applause after winning his battle.

“You made that battle look so easy, Brandon,” Blake said.

“It comes from years of experience, Blake,” Brandon replied. “The tournament is only going to get harder from this point on.”

“That depends on who you face,” Laman rebutted. “Tyson wasn’t too tough. I could have beaten him blindfolded.”

“Then it’s a shame you didn’t get to face him,” Brandon said. “If I were you, I wouldn’t be focusing on defeated opponents.”

The tournament official came into the locker room. The next participant was about to be announced.

“The next Pokemon Trainer to battle will be…Laman Humphrey!” the tournament official announced.

“Good,” Laman replied. “I’m glad I don’t have to wait any longer.”

Laman left the locker room and headed toward the battlefield.

“Do you think he has any chance of winning?” Blake asked Brandon.

“NO!” Brandon loudly declared.

“Me neither,” Blake agreed.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Laman’s entrance music played throughout the stadium as he came out of the tunnel. Unlike the reception that Brandon and Tyson received from the previous battle, almost everyone in the stadium was booing Laman. But this didn’t bother Laman one bit.

“Ladies and gentlemen, we now move on to the second battle of the opening round!” the battlefield announcer said through the PA system. “Introducing first, from Saffron City of the Kanto Region, he is the runner-up of this year’s Indigo Conference Tournament, Laman Humphrey!”

The fans continued to boo as Laman reached the center of the battlefield. His entrance music stopped. Once his opponent’s entrance music played throughout the arena, almost everyone was cheering. Laman saw his opponent coming out of the entrance tunnel.

“And his opponent, from Celestic Town of the Sinnoh Region, she is the Sinnoh League Champion, Cynthia!” the battlefield announcer said through the PA system.

Every fan in the stands was cheering loudly when they saw Cynthia. They knew who they wanted to see win this battle.

Laman and Cynthia met at the center of the battlefield. They locked eyes as if they were longtime enemies, even though this was the first time they would be battling each other.

“It must be my lucky day,” Laman said. “I get to eliminate a League Champion in the opening round.”

“Don’t get too overconfident, Laman,” Cynthia replied.

“Alright Trainers, you both know the rules,” the referee told both Laman and Cynthia. “I expect a clean battle from both of you. Laman, keep the trash-talking to a minimum. Cynthia, since you drew a red card, you get to call the coin toss.”

“I defer the decision to Laman,” Cynthia declined.

“Are you sure?” the referee asked.

“I’m sure,” Cynthia answered.

“Very well, then,” the referee replied. “Laman, do you want to send out your starting Pokemon first or second?”

“I’ll have Cynthia choose first,” Laman decided.

“Cynthia will choose her starting Pokemon first,” the referee announced. “Trainers, please head to your endzones and prepare for battle. Good luck to both of you.”

Laman and Cynthia reached their endzones. When they got there, they both had their pokeballs in hand.

“Gastrodon, shine on!” Cynthia declared as she threw out her pokeball.

Gastrodon emerged from its pokeball, ready to battle.

“Magnezone, I choose you!” Laman declared as he threw out his pokeball.

Magnezone emerged from its pokeball, ready to battle.

“This battle will now begin!” the referee announced. “Fight!”

“Gastrodon, stone edge!” Cynthia commanded.

“Magnezone, evasive maneuvers!” Laman commanded.

As Gastrodon launched several stone projectiles at Magnezone, Magnezone evaded almost effortlessly. Gastrodon was wide open for an attack.

“Light it up with thunderbolt!” Laman commanded.

Magnezone unleashed a large bolt of lightning at Gastrodon. It was a direct hit. Despite the pain, Gastrodon was holding on.

“Counter with muddy water!” Cynthia commanded.

Gastrodon launched several projectiles of water at Magnezone. As Magnezone continued to evade, one of the projectiles managed to land a hit and blind Magnezone.

“Magnezone, use electric shield and ram Gastrodon at full speed!” Laman commanded.

Magnezone was encased by an electrical aura which caused the muddy water on it to evaporate, allowing it to see again. It then proceeded to charge at Gastrodon.

“Gastrodon, use stone edge to defend!” Cynthia commanded.

However, Gastrodon couldn’t bring it up in time. Magnezone barely managed to ram into Gastrodon, knocking it back and unconscious.

“Gastrodon is unable to battle!” the referee declared. “Cynthia is down to two Pokemon!”

The fans were shocked by what they saw. They didn’t expect Cynthia’s first Pokemon to go down so easily. Gastrodon was returned to its pokeball. Cynthia, however, didn’t seem phased by the setback.

“Glaceon, shine on!” Cynthia declared as she threw out her pokeball.

Glaceon emerged from its pokeball, ready to battle.

“Glaceon, use ice beam!” Cynthia commanded.

Glaceon fired several beams of ice from its mouth. As much as Magnezone tried to evade, it was eventually hit. When Magnezone was hit, it was encased in ice and fell to the ground.

“Magnezone, use electric shield to melt the ice!” Laman commanded.

“Glaceon, use hyper beam!” Cynthia commanded.

“What?!” Laman exclaimed, shocked by the command Cynthia just issued.

Glaceon fired its hyper beam at Magnezone. As much as Magnezone tried to get out of the ice, it couldn’t do it in time. The hyper beam landed and caused the ice to explode. When the dust settled, it was clear to everyone that Magnezone was beaten.

“Magnezone is unable to battle!” the referee declared. “Laman is down to two Pokemon!”

“Smart move, Cynthia,” Laman admitted as Magnezone was returned to its pokeball. “Unfortunately, it wasn’t smart enough. You left yourself wide open. Go, Flareon!”

Laman threw out another pokeball and Flareon emerged from it, ready to battle.

“Flamethrower!” Laman commanded.

“Glaceon, counter with ice beam!” Cynthia commanded.

The two blasts collided. However, Glaceon was still recovering from previously using hyper beam. The flamethrower overpowered the ice beam. Glaceon was hit and knocked back. However, it still had strength to get back up.

“Now use flame charge!” Laman commanded.

As Flareon was rushing toward Glaceon, it was surrounded by flames. The impact sent Glaceon back to the ground again. This time, it was unable to get back up.

“Glaceon is unable to battle!” the referee declared. “Cynthia is down to one Pokemon!”

“I know which Pokemon you’re going to use next,” Laman said as Cynthia returned Glaceon to its pokeball. “It won’t help you in the end. Admit it, Cynthia. I’ve got this battle won.”

“Like I said, don’t get too overconfident,” Cynthia warned Laman. “Garchomp, shine on!”

Cynthia threw out her pokeball and Garchomp emerged, ready to battle.

“Garchomp, use dragon rush!” Cynthia commanded.

“Flareon, evade!” Laman commanded.

Flareon did its best to avoid being hit. Nevertheless, Garchomp was just quick enough to land a hit on Flareon. Flareon managed to get right back up after getting hit.

“Hit it with a flamethrower!” Laman commanded.

“Garchomp, defend!” Cynthia commanded.

As Flareon launched a blast of fire from its mouth, Garchomp used its arms to ward off the attack. Any damage to Garchomp was minimal.

“Now use brick break!” Cynthia commanded.

Garchomp unleashed its attack. As much as Flareon tried to evade the attack, it simply couldn’t get out of the way in time. The attack was a direct hit. Flareon was knocked to the ground in an unconscious state.

“Flareon is unable to battle!” the referee declared. “Laman is down to one Pokemon!”

Flareon was returned to its pokeball. Laman couldn’t help but laugh at the situation.

“What’s so funny?” Cynthia demanded. “I just evened the odds with my strongest Pokemon. You don’t realize the situation you’re in.”

“On the contrary, YOU don’t understand the situation you’re in,” Laman rebutted. “I’ve been luring you in since the start of this battle. Your Garchomp is about to become dead meat against a Pokemon I caught last month.”

“My Garchomp will take on any Pokemon you put forth,” Cynthia said. “Now stop playing mind games and battle!”

“So be it,” Laman replied as he had a pokeball in hand. “BEHOLD!”

Laman threw out his pokeball and his third Pokemon emerged from it. It was none other than Dragonite.

Everyone was shocked by what they just saw, including Cynthia. No one could have guessed that Laman would use such a rare Pokemon, considering that he didn’t have a Dragonite three months ago when he was last seen battling Blake Webster.

“It’s all over, Cynthia,” Laman said. “Dragonite, grab on to Garchomp!”

Dragonite flew at a fast speed at Garchomp. Garchomp tried to fight off Dragonite, but it was caught in Dragonite’s grip.

“Now body slam it!” Laman commanded.

Dragonite flew high into the air with Garchomp and then threw Garchomp down to the ground. Garchomp was in clear pain from the attack, but managed to get up.

“Hang in there, Garchomp!” Cynthia called out. “Use dragon rage!”

Garchomp launched its attack at Dragonite. It was a direct hit that caused Dragonite to fall back to the ground. Dragonite quickly got back up.

“Dragonite, use hyper beam!” Laman commanded.

“Garchomp, hyper beam!” Cynthia commanded.

Both Pokemon unleashed their hyper beams at each other. When the hyper beams collided, it caused a huge explosion that knocked both Garchomp and Dragonite back a few steps. Both Pokemon were on the verge of exhaustion.

“Dragonite, grab Garchomp again!” Laman commanded.

“Don’t let it, Garchomp!” Cynthia commanded.

As Dragonite flew at high speed toward Garchomp, Garchomp managed to knock Dragonite back. Cynthia knew she had a clear opening to end the battle.

“Now use giga impact!” Cynthia commanded.

Garchomp leapt high in the air and came down with an attack at such great velocity that Dragonite couldn’t block. The impact caused a huge crater to form beneath both Pokemon. Everyone’s view was obscured by the dust cloud that followed. When the dust settled, Garchomp was seen barely standing. Dragonite attempted to stand up again.

“Get up, Dragonite!” Laman commanded. “Get up! Get up! Get up! Get up!”

However, Dragonite’s strength gave out. It collapsed to the ground.

“NO!” Laman screamed as he fell to his knees, knowing what just happened.

“Dragonite is unable to battle!” the referee declared. “Cynthia advances to the next round!”

The fans were cheering at the incredible battle they had just witnessed. They were especially glad that Cynthia managed to defeat Laman. Laman was close to pulling off an incredible upset, yet Cynthia managed to hold on for the win.

Dragonite was returned to its pokeball. All Laman could do was walk away in agony as Cynthia was celebrating her victory with her Garchomp.

*

Laman returned to the green locker room. He didn’t bother to make eye-contact with anyone.

“Young man, you-” Brandon began.

“Shut up!” Laman interrupted. “Just shut up!”

Laman got his things and started to walk out of the locker room. Once again, he didn’t bother to make eye-contact with anyone.

“Laman, aren’t you going to-” Ash began.

“Let him go, Ash,” Blake interrupted as he put his hand on Ash’s shoulder. “He takes these kinds of defeats very hard.”

Laman left the locker room. It was clear he didn’t want to see the rest of the opening round after suffering the kind of defeat that he did.

“I can’t help but feel sorry for him,” Ritchie said.

“It was just bad luck for him,” Blake replied. “That’s how some Pokemon battles go. You can do everything right, yet have it end so wrong.”

The tournament official came into the locker room. The next participant was about to be announced.

“The next Pokemon Trainer to battle will be…Blake Webster!” the tournament official announced.

“Alright!” Blake said in an excited tone. “Let’s do this, Raichu!”

“Good luck, Blake,” Ash said.

Blake and Raichu left the locker room and headed toward the battlefield.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Blake’s entrance music played throughout the stadium as he and Raichu came out of the tunnel. The fans were cheering for him as they knew he beat Laman three months ago for the Indigo Conference Championship. They expected to see another champion-like performance from him in the upcoming battle.

“Ladies and gentlemen, we now move on to the third battle of the opening round!” the battlefield announcer said through the PA system. “Introducing first, from Viridian City of the Kanto Region, he is the Indigo Conference Champion, Blake Webster!”

The fans continued to cheer as Blake and Raichu walked toward the center of the battlefield. Blake saw Dawn, Gary and Professor Oak in the stands. Dawn was in one section, Gary and Professor Oak were in another. Dawn was waving at Blake, causing Blake to wave back at her. It was clear that Dawn wanted Blake to win this battle.

Once Blake and Raichu reached the center of the battlefield, Blake’s entrance music stopped. His opponent’s entrance music then played throughout the stadium and the fans were cheering once again. Blake saw his opponent coming out of the entrance tunnel.

“And his opponent, from Sento Cherry Town of the Johto Region, he is the Silver Conference Champion, Jon Dickson!” the battlefield announcer said through the PA system.

Some of the fans were cheering louder for Jon than when Blake came out. It was clear that Jon had a fanbase that came from Johto just to see him battle. Once Jon reached the center of the battlefield, his entrance music stopped. Blake and Jon shook hands.

“Are you ready to give these fans an unforgettable battle?” Blake asked Jon.

“You know it,” Jon answered.

“Alright, Trainers, you both know the rules,” the referee told both Blake and Jon. “I expect a clean battle from both of you. Jon, since you drew a red card, you get to call the coin toss.”

“I choose heads,” Jon decided.

The referee tossed the coin into the air. When it hit the ground, it landed on heads.

“Heads it is,” the referee confirmed. “Do you want to send out your starting Pokemon first or second?”

“I’ll have Blake choose first,” Jon answered.

“Blake will send out his starting Pokemon first,” the referee announced. “Trainers, please head to your endzones and prepare for battle. Good luck to both of you.”

*

Two security guards were casually guarding the jumbotron control room just like any normal day. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

“So, I hear your son’s going to be a Pokemon Trainer soon,” one of the security guards said.

“That’s right,” the other security guard confirmed. “I hope he becomes as good as those in this tournament.”

Suddenly, out of the corner of one of the security guard’s eye, a pokeball rolled towards them.

“What the heck?” one of the security guards said in a confused tone as the pokeball stopped as his feet. “Whose pokeball is this?”

As the security guard leaned over to pick it up, the pokeball opened and unleashed some sleeping gas. The sleeping gas filled the air around both security guards, causing both of them to collapse in a sudden slumber. Paul then walked by them wearing a gasmask.

“Pleasant dreams, pathetic fools,” Paul said to the sleeping security guards.

Paul then proceeded to slightly open the door to the jumbotron control room. He rolled another pokeball into the room. When it stopped rolling, it opened and unleashed sleeping gas to cause everyone in the room to collapse in a sudden slumber. Paul then proceeded to enter the room.

“Time to get to work,” Paul said to himself.

*

“Golem, Go!” Blake declared as he threw out his pokeball.

Golem emerged from the pokeball, ready to battle.

“Since you choose Golem, I choose Rhydon!” Jon declared as he threw out his pokeball.

Rhydon emerged from the pokeball, ready to battle.

“This battle will now begin!” the referee announced. “Fight!”

“Rhydon, drill run!” Jon commanded.

“Golem, rock ‘n roll!” Blake commanded.

As Rhydon ran horn-first, Golem curled up into a ball and rolled at Rhydon at a fast pace. Both Pokemon collided with each other at such force that it created a slight shockwave. Rhydon and Golem both staggered back after the impact.

“Golem, do it again!” Blake commanded.

“Rhydon, knock it back with your tail!” Jon commanded.

As Golem attempted to ram Rhydon while curled up in a ball, Rhydon managed to hit Golem with its tail and knock it back. Golem uncurled while being knocked back. While most Golems would be dizzy afterwards, Blake’s Golem wasn’t due to all the dizzy-prevention training it went under.

“Rhydon, charge at it!” Jon commanded.

“Golem, hold your ground!” Blake commanded.

Rhydon ran at Golem in an attempt to capitalize on the last hit. Nevertheless, Golem managed to stop Rhydon’s momentum and grab hold of it by one of its arms and its horn.

“Super-Duper-Suplex!” Blake commanded.

Golem jumped high into the air with Rhydon still in its grasp. As they started to fall, Golem made sure Rhydon would hit the ground first. The impact caused a huge dust cloud to form. When the dust settled, Golem was standing, but Rhydon wasn’t.

“Rhydon is unable to battle!” the referee declared. “Jon is down to two Pokemon!”

Rhydon was returned to its pokeball. Jon didn’t seem too phased by the setback.

“Well done, Blake,” Jon said as he got another pokeball ready. “But now it’s time to rain on Golem’s parade. Go, Feraligatr!”

Jon threw out his pokeball and Feraligatr emerged, ready to battle.

“Feraligatr, hydro pump!” Jon commanded.

“Golem, shields up!” Blake commanded.

Golem curled up into a ball as the jets of water that Feraligatr shot made contact. Had Golem not curled up, the damage would have been far worse seeing that rock Pokemon are weak against water.

“Golem, rock ‘n roll!” Blake commanded.

“Feraligatr, again!” Jon commanded.

As Golem rolled at Feraligatr, the second hydro pump attack managed to reverse Golem’s course. Eventually, Golem was sent flying and was slammed into the wall behind Blake. Golem uncurled and collapsed to the ground.

“Golem is unable to battle!” the referee declared. “Blake is down to two Pokemon!”

Golem was returned to its pokeball. Despite the setback, Blake knew what to do next to gain back momentum in the battle.

“Well, Raichu, it looks like you’re going on sooner than anticipated,” Blake said to his Raichu. “Make me proud.”

“Raichu!” Raichu replied.

As Raichu walked onto the battlefield to face off against Feraligatr, the jumbotron showed something other than the battle statistics and what was happening on the battlefield. Paul was shown on the jumbotron.

“May I have your attention, please?” Paul asked.

“It’s Paul!” Dawn cried out as she saw Paul on the jumbotron.

Everyone in the stands gasped at they saw the same thing. Blake, Jon, Feraligatr, Raichu and the referee on the battlefield stopped the battle that was happening and turned their attention to the jumbotron as well.

“Hello, everyone,” Paul began. “Sorry to interrupt all the fun and excitement, but something has been bothering me as of late: Pokemon battles! Wouldn’t the world be a much better place if Pokemon battles were completely done away with?”

“What?!” Gary exclaimed.

“He’s out of his mind!” Professor Oak said in shock.

“Think about it,” Paul continued. “Nature would go back to the way Mother Earth intended. There wouldn’t be any more lawsuits from Pokemon rights activists. We’d finally have peace on this world. To that end, I say that we abolish Pokemon battles…PERMANENTLY!”

“Go back to Liberal City, you hypocrite!” Blake shouted.

“I’m aware that a lot of you are opposed to my idea,” Paul pointed out. “Some of you may think that I’m just doing this for attention and couldn’t care less about whether people actually listen. Well, here’s proof that I’m serious.”

Paul stepped to the side to reveal what was behind him. It was a nuclear warhead.

“It can’t be!” Jon said in shock.

“That’s right,” Paul confirmed. “I’ve ‘acquired’ a nuclear warhead. This warhead is capable of destroying everything within a ten-mile radius and making everything else within a fifty-mile radius uninhabitable for up to twenty years. And if you think I’m still bluffing, here’s more proof!”

Paul took out a remote controller from his pocket and pressed a button. Suddenly, an explosion occurred underneath a section of bleachers, causing it to collapse. Those in the section of bleachers fell as well.

“There you have it,” Paul continued. “My demand is very simple: Pokemon battles of all kinds must be outlawed. If you do not comply with my demand within the next twenty-four hours, I will detonate the nuclear warhead in a random city of this world! Farewell! Oh, and by the way, I am aware of the irony of using a Pokemon tournament as a platform in order to decry it, so don’t bother to point that out.”

The jumbotron then went dark. All the fans in attendance were in a state of panic.

“For safety precautions, this battle is being postponed!” the referee announced. “Everyone, please exit the stadium in an orderly fashion!”

Jon returned Feraligatr to its pokeball. Blake and Raichu approached Jon shortly afterwards.

“We’ve got to help those in the collapsed section!” Jon said to Blake.

“Yeah,” Blake agreed.

Blake, Jon and Raichu climbed up to the stands where the fans were. Most of the fans were taking the referee’s advice and leaving the stadium. As Blake, Jon and Raichu approached the collapsed section, they were shortly joined by Dawn and her Piplup.

“That was really scary, Blake,” Dawn said.

“Thank goodness you weren’t hurt, Dawn,” Blake replied.

“Well, there are some that are hurt,” Jon pointed out.

Blake, Dawn, Jon, Raichu and Piplup checked up on the hurt fans. Among those that were hurt were Gary and Professor Oak. Both of them were in an unconscious state. This alarmed Blake as he knew how much Gary and Professor Oak meant to Ash Ketchum.

“Get the medics, now!” Blake ordered.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Giovanni was in his office with his Persian watching the chaos that had just unfolded at the Best of the Best Tournament on TV. As he continued watching, he heard a knock at the door.

“You may enter,” Giovanni said.

The door opened. Cassidy and Butch came in.

“We know where Paul is,” Cassidy informed Giovanni. “He just made a huge demand at the Best of the Best Tournament.”

“Yes, I know,” Giovanni acknowledged. “I saw everything that happened. It was a very bold move. Now I understand why he wanted our weapon so desperately.”

“Let’s take him out before he can use it,” Butch suggested.

“No,” Giovanni declined.

“Why not?” Butch asked.

“This may actually work out better than I originally planned,” Giovanni explained. “Paul has demanded an end to all Pokemon battles worldwide on a permanent basis. I seriously doubt every Pokemon League is going to give in seeing how much revenue they generate. Once the twenty-four hours expire, Paul will detonate the warhead, causing the chaos that we originally intended. Any evidence linking us to that act of terrorism will be destroyed in the process, giving us plausible deniability. It’s two Pidgeys with one stone. It looks like our prayers have been answered.”

“And if the Pokemon Leagues do give in to Paul’s demand?” Cassidy asked.

“I’ll have a plan for that situation,” Giovanni answered. “Either way, this will be the beginning of our plan for world domination.”

*

Everyone was outside of the Indigo Plateau Stadium. Those who were injured were being treated by medical personnel. The few that were seriously injured were being loaded into ambulances to be taken to a nearby hospital.

“How are Gary and Professor Oak?” Ash asked Blake.

“Their condition is stable, last I checked,” Blake answered. “They should live, but they need to be examined at the hospital to make sure there aren’t any unknown injuries.”

“That’s good to know,” Ash replied.

“I’ll go with Gary and Professor Oak,” Brandon offered. “It’s the least I can do for you at this time. I’ll give you an update on their condition tomorrow.”

“What about finding Paul?” Ritchie reminded Brandon.

“We should leave that job to the police,” Brandon advised. “They’re better trained at handling criminals with bombs than we are. Besides, if Paul were to see Pokemon Trainers like us trying to stop him, it might provoke him to detonate the warhead sooner than the deadline he set.”

“Alright, Brandon,” Blake replied. “We’ll take your advice.”

“I better go now,” Brandon said as he observed Gary and Professor Oak about to be loaded into an ambulance. “I’ll see you all tomorrow.”

Brandon went to the ambulance that Gary and Professor Oak were being loaded into. He got permission from the medical personnel to go with them. The ambulance carrying them took off.

“Better watch your back, Ash,” Blake warned his friend. “It looks like Paul thinks it’s open season on Pokemon fans of any kind. Us included.”

Officer Jenny was seen approaching Blake, Ash, Ritchie, Jon, Dawn, Pikachu, Raichu, Sparky and Piplup. It was clear that she had an update for them.

“What did you find out, Officer Jenny?” Jon asked.

“Paul really did his homework on this one,” Officer Jenny began. “He used various disguises to fool security everywhere. As for the message that was displayed on the jumbotron, it was prerecorded and played on a DVD. The bomb that took out the section of bleachers was synchronized to explode in concert with Paul’s message. This gave him plenty of time to get out of the stadium while at the same time getting a head start on us.”

“Any clue on where Paul is?” Dawn asked.

“None,” Officer Jenny answered. “But we have the Indigo Plateau on Red Alert for Paul. We’re currently searching every part of the Indigo Plateau for him. We’ll expand our search to cover all of Kanto if necessary.”

“I hope you find him in time,” Blake said. “We can’t afford to let him detonate that warhead.”

“We’re taking this situation very seriously,” Officer Jenny replied. “Once we catch him, he’s going to serve some serious time in prison, most likely for the rest of his life. I better go now. Every second counts.”

Officer Jenny then left to resume her duties.

“So, what should we do now?” Ash asked.

“Let’s head back to the hotel,” Jon suggested. “I have a feeling we have a lot to discuss.”

“Agreed,” Blake replied.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Blake, Ash, Ritchie, Dawn, Jon, Raichu, Pikachu, Sparky and Piplup were all in Jon’s hotel room. They had the TV on and were watching the news report of the chaos that happened at the Best of the Best Tournament.

“While there were some fans that had to be taken to the hospital, none of them have died as of yet,” the newswoman reported. “So far, there are fifteen in serious condition, three in critical condition. We’ll have more info on their conditions in later updates. As for the ex-Pokemon Trainer, Paul, he remains on the run. A warrant has been issued for his arrest. Law enforcement officials are offering a fifty-thousand-dollar reward for information leading to Paul’s capture and arrest. If any of you see Paul, consider him dangerous.”

“I can’t believe Paul would stoop this low,” Ash said. “I knew he was selfish, but I never imagined he would resort to terrorism.”

“Sounds to me like you know Paul better than any of us,” Blake replied.

“We battled each other in the Sinnoh League on more than one occasion,” Ash confirmed. “The last time was in the quarterfinals of the Lily of the Valley Conference Tournament. I won that battle. We spoke briefly afterwards before he left. We never saw each other again afterwards.”

“Well, we know sometime between then and now Paul had a battle with Laman Humphrey,” Ritchie pointed out. “Apparently, Paul losing to Laman caused them to fight and he quit being a Pokemon Trainer afterwards.”

“I think there’s more to it than that,” Jon said. “I also don’t think it was a coincidence that he chose my battle with Blake to interrupt the tournament.”

“What do you mean?” Dawn asked.

“The first time I won the Silver Conference, Paul and I battled in the Sweet Sixteen,” Jon explained. “I won that battle, but Paul wasn’t being a good sport afterwards. I tried talking to him afterwards and he went off on me. He called me and my team pathetic. I sarcastically asked him ‘If my team and I are pathetic, how come we beat you and your team?’ That set him off and he began a physical altercation with me. Thankfully, there were security guards nearby to break up the fight shortly after we exchanged a few blows. There was a brief investigation of the incident and I was cleared of any wrongdoing. Paul wasn’t so fortunate. He was banned from future Johto League competition for that fight and was also placed on probation in all other Pokemon Leagues afterwards with a condition that if he ever began any more physical altercations post-battle, he would be banned from all Pokemon League competition for life.”

“In that case, maybe Paul didn’t quit,” Ritchie hypothesized. “Maybe he ended up being banned after his fight with Laman and just said that he quit to cover it up.”

“That would fit his personality,” Dawn agreed. “If there’s one thing I know about Paul, besides him being a jerk, it’s that he wanted to be the most powerful Pokemon Trainer ever no matter what. Him being banned makes more sense than him quitting.”

“Wait a minute, why didn’t Paul interrupt Laman’s battle with Cynthia instead?” Blake asked. “After all, it was ultimately Laman that caused Paul to be banned for life.”

“That would have been too obvious, Blake,” Jon pointed out. “I believe Paul chose my battle with you because not a lot of people remember the battle between me and him. It was Paul’s fight with me that started everything in the first place. There’s no doubt that he still harbors hatred at me. I also believe he wanted to hurt my parents given the section where he placed that explosion.”

“Are your parents okay?” Ash asked.

“They weren’t at the tournament,” Jon answered. “My father recently had surgery to remove a cancerous tumor and couldn’t make it. My mother stayed with him at Sento Cherry Town. If they were at the tournament, they would have been seated at the section that Paul set the bomb at. I guess my father not being able to come was a blessing in disguise.”

“Looks like it,” Blake agreed.

“There’s still one question that remains unanswered,” Ritchie said. “How did Paul get a nuclear warhead?”

“That’s a very good question, Ritchie,” Blake replied. “It shouldn’t be possible for him to get one. Nuclear warheads are under tight military security. It’s virtually impossible for anyone to steal one unnoticed. Not to mention the second a nuclear warhead goes missing, there’s all kinds of alerts that would be issued worldwide.”

“And those alerts obviously haven’t been issued,” Dawn added.

“No matter how Paul got it, it wasn’t legal,” Jon said. “And now he’s going to blow up a random city unless Pokemon battles are outlawed or if the police catch him first.”

“I think the city he’s going to blow up is going to be in the Kanto Region,” Blake hypothesized.

“Why do you think that?” Ash asked.

“If he gave a twenty-four-hour deadline, there’s a strong possibility the warhead is hidden here in the Kanto Region,” Blake explained. “It would be foolish for him to hide it where he couldn’t reach it in less time.”

“Then we have to warn everyone in Kanto,” Ash said.

“Even if we could warn everyone in Kanto, it’s virtually impossible to evacuate an entire region in less than twenty-four hours,” Jon pointed out. “The police have to catch Paul before the twenty-four hours pass.”

“And if they can’t find him?” Ash asked.

“Then either a lot of people are going to die or there won’t be any more Pokemon battles at all,” Jon answered. “If Paul isn’t found, it’s not going to end well for anyone.”


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Mr. Goodshow and various Pokemon League executives were in the briefing room at the Indigo Plateau Stadium. They were discussing the chaos that Paul had caused during the tournament the previous day as well as what action to take next.

“The police have not found Paul as of yet,” one of the executives reported. “They have searched every square-foot of the Indigo Plateau and have come up completely empty. Law enforcement agents outside of Kanto have checked with his family members, his previous employers, even his roommates at his last known residence. But even they don’t know where he is. It’s going to take even longer to search every town and city in Kanto, assuming Paul’s still in this region.”

“Time isn’t on our side,” another executive replied. “We only have three hours left until he detonates the warhead. I say for the safety of everyone, we should cancel the rest of the tournament and suspend all Pokemon League activity indefinitely.”

“That’s out of the question!” yet another executive objected. “If we do what you suggest, we’re going to have to lay off a lot of employees that work for the Pokemon Leagues. Not to mention a lot of other businesses in relation to our operations will go under as well. The financial damage will be widespread across the world. Parents won’t be able to support their children. Men and women will fall behind on paying their bills. This is too big to shut down.”

“Is any price too big to pay to save thousands, maybe millions of innocent lives?” another executive asked.

“We don’t even know if that warhead is real,” the other executive pointed out. “For all we know, Paul could have made a fake to make us believe he’s serious. If this is a scam and we give in, we look incompetent to everyone.”

“Then how do you explain the explosion that injured several fans?” another executive demanded.

“I’ve heard all the arguments,” Mr. Goodshow said. “The fans, the media, the Pokemon Trainers participating in this tournament, they’re all wondering if the tournament is going to go on and if there’s going to be any more Pokemon battles. I know there are pros and cons for both sides of the argument. There’s only one logical choice to make. It might make a lot of people angry, but it has to be done.”

*

The Pokemon Trainers participating in the Best of the Best Tournament were outside of the Indigo Plateau Stadium along with fans and various members of the mainstream media anticipating an announcement concerning the status of the tournament. There was a strong sense of anxiety amongst most who were present.

Brandon approached Ash. Ash had a feeling he knew what Brandon was going to tell him.

“How are Gary and Professor Oak?” Ash asked.

“They’re doing much better than they were yesterday,” Brandon answered. “They should be released from the hospital by the end of today.”

“That’s good to know,” Ash replied.

“It looks like Mr. Goodshow is going to make his announcement,” Blake said to his friends as he saw what was happening on a makeshift stage.

Mr. Goodshow walked onto the stage and approached the podium. He checked to make sure the microphone was on prior to making his announcement.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I know it’s been very tense since yesterday,” Mr. Goodshow began. “What happened yesterday at the Best of the Best Tournament was very disastrous. A good number of fans were injured because of the explosion Paul planted underneath a section of seats. I’m pleased to announce that none of those fans have died from their injuries caused by the explosion. However, Paul remains on the run and a warrant has been issued for his arrest. Somehow, he managed to obtain a nuclear warhead and has threatened to use it unless all Pokemon battles are done away with on a permanent basis. We believe that the threat is legitimate given the events that happened during the Pokemon battle between Blake Webster and Jon Dickson. Because of the immediate threat that Paul poses to all of us, and because the police are yet to find him, we have been forced to take action that not everyone will agree with. Nevertheless, it must be done. For the safety of the fans, the Pokemon Trainers, and everyone else involved, I regret to announce that the remainder of the Best of the Best Tournament has been officially cancelled. Furthermore, all Pokemon League activity, including Pokemon battles of any kind, have been indefinitely suspended. I am aware that there are going to be those that will attempt to pursue legal action to force us to reconsider this decision. Unfortunately, we are currently powerless to do anything about it given the danger everyone is in. I urge everyone around the world to accept this decision for what it is. The safety of our fans and everyone else comes first. To continue on would be irresponsible. Thank you, and I will not be taking any questions.”

As Mr. Goodshow walked off the stage, members of the press tried asking him questions. However, Mr. Goodshow ignored them and continued to walk away. As for the fans and most of the Pokemon Trainers in attendance, they couldn’t believe what just happened. One of the biggest sports in the world was abolished right before their eyes and ears.

*

Paul had watched the press conference on TV from his hotel room in another city. He was extremely pleased by what he just saw and heard.

“Yes!” Paul said to himself in an excited tone. “They gave in! I finally got my revenge! I feel like celebrating. And I know just how to do it.”

With his victory gained, Paul dressed up in a disguise before he left his hotel room. As for where he would go, only Paul knew.

*

Giovanni had also watched the press conference on TV in his office. As it cut to commercials, Giovanni heard a knock at his door.

“You may enter,” Giovanni said.

The door opened. Cassidy and Butch came in.

“I take it you heard the announcement?” Cassidy asked.

“I did,” Giovanni confirmed. “I thought they would hold strong and continue the tournament. Looks like I was wrong. Fortunately, I have a backup plan.”

“If I don’t mind asking, what is your backup plan?” Butch asked.

“When Paul took the warhead from us, I had some undercover spies track his every movement,” Giovanni explained. “I informed them to keep their distance and report on a regular basis. Paul may think no one knows where he’s at, but I do.”

“Then let’s go to where he’s at and-” Cassidy began.

“That isn’t my plan,” Giovanni interrupted. “All I have to do is provoke him into detonating the warhead from far away. And I know exactly how to do it.”

“How?” Butch asked.

“If I told you, it wouldn’t be a surprise, would it?” Giovanni replied. “All I can tell you is be sure to watch the evening news tonight for a special announcement. You’ll know what will cause Paul to lose his mind to the point where he’ll detonate the warhead. Then, we begin the next step for world domination.”


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Blake, Ash, Ritchie, Dawn, Jon, Brandon, Raichu, Pikachu, Sparky and Piplup were all gathered near the edge of a forest in the Indigo Plateau. They were still trying to process through their minds the fact that there wouldn’t be any more Pokemon battles again after the announcement that Mr. Goodshow made at the brief press conference.

“I can’t believe Mr. Goodshow sold us out,” Blake said. “I never imagined he’d ever betray us like that.”

“He did what he thought was right, Blake,” Dawn pointed out. “I’m sorry this happened, but too many lives were at risk.”

“Dawn has a point,” Ash agreed. “I’m not happy about this, either. But if the tournament were to continue, Paul’s actions would have ended a lot of lives. As Mr. Goodshow said, the safety of everyone comes first.”

“I hate Paul so much!” Blake said in an angered tone. “If he were standing in front of me, I’d give him the beating of his life! He ruined everything! Now what am I going to do with my life?”

“Don’t despair, Blake,” Brandon advised. “The police are still searching for Paul. We just have to wait for them to find him.”

“We tried that approach, it didn’t work!” Blake disagreed. “The police don’t have a clue where Paul is. There’s only one way to get Pokemon battles back.”

“NO!” Brandon loudly declared. “I don’t want you to do anything stupid. If we were to try to find him, he might-”

“Detonate the warhead on sight, yes, I know,” Blake interrupted. “But if we can catch Paul off-guard before he has a chance to detonate the warhead, we can take it away from him, capture him and turn him over to the police. That should convince Mr. Goodshow to allow Pokemon battles to continue again.”

“You don’t even know where Paul is,” Jon pointed out. “Even if you did, then what? You’d have to get to him without him noticing you in time and when he’s too far from the warhead to reach it before you do. It’s too big of a gamble.”

That last sentence caused Blake to stare at Jon. He was somewhat deep into thought.

“What did you just say?” Blake asked Jon.

“It’s too big of a gamble,” Jon repeated slowly.

It was at this moment that everything started to click for Blake. He knew where to find Paul.

“Oh, my goodness!” Blake said in a tone of realization. “It all makes sense now! I’ve figured it out!”

“Figured what out?” Ash asked.

“Paul has been planning all this out ever since the Best of the Best Tournament was announced three months ago,” Blake began. “Officer Jenny told us that Paul used disguises to fool the security guards while at the Indigo Plateau Stadium. He must have also used disguises way before the tournament and after the incident during his escape.”

“What’s your point?” Ritchie asked.

“According to the news reports last night, Paul’s last employer fired him a little more than two months ago for no-showing on consecutive days,” Blake continued. “He would have had to get some kind of income without having to go through a background check for another job in order to support himself without anyone knowing. Add that in with all the disguises he used, in tandem with Jon mentioning the word ‘gamble’, there’s only one place in Kanto where one can legally gamble and where no one cares what you look like.”

“And what place is that?” Dawn asked as Blake brought his Pidgeot out of its pokeball.

“Alright, Pidgeot,” Blake said as he and Raichu climbed on Pidgeot. “I need you to fly Raichu and I to Neon Town on the double!”

“Blake, wait!” Brandon yelled as Pidgeot took off.

But Pidgeot didn’t stop. It continued to fly to its commanded destination of Neon Town carrying Blake and Raichu.

“We’ve got to follow him,” Jon said.

“We will in my Battle Pyramid,” Brandon replied. “Come with me.”


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Paul returned to his hotel room with a lot of money in hand. He threw the money on his bed before taking off the disguise he was wearing and put on his normal clothes.

“Those pathetic fools don’t know how to play poker effectively,” Paul said to himself. “Fools and their money are easily parted. Now to see how those pathetic Pokemon Trainers are coping with their loss.”

Paul turned on the TV to the evening news. To his expectation, the top story was still about the chaos from the Best of the Best Tournament the previous day as well as the continuous search for him.

“There is still no word on where ex-Pokemon Trainer Paul is,” the newswoman reported. “As for several Pokemon Trainers suddenly forced out of their careers, they have officially filed a class-action lawsuit against various Pokemon Leagues in an attempt to force them back into operation. However, the lawsuit is expected to take several years to be resolved.”

“Thank goodness the courts take forever these days,” Paul commented. “And more than likely, they’ll side with the Pokemon Leagues to stay closed.”

“Now, for an interview with someone named Mr. G,” the newswoman continued. “Tonight, we’re on the phone with an anonymous businessman using a pseudonym who claims to have an announcement that everyone will be interested in. Hello, you’re on the air.”

“Good evening, ma’am,” Mr. G said.

Paul immediately recognized the voice. It was Giovanni.

“What is Giovanni doing?” Paul asked himself.

“I am aware that a lot of people are saddened by the recent closure of several Pokemon Leagues,” Giovanni continued. “They miss the action that they have enjoyed for several years. They wish to have something to fill the void that was created. Tonight, I offer something for everyone. Tonight, I wish to announce the creation of a new Pokemon League currently in development.”

“WHAT?!” Paul exclaimed in frustration to the announcement.

“You heard that right,” Giovanni confirmed. “I call this the Revolution League. All Pokemon Trainers from all over the world are eligible to compete in this new Pokemon League. Best of all, the cash prizes that will be offered will be bigger than any other Pokemon League previously offered. As for where the Revolution League will take place in, it will happen in Neon Town of the Kanto Region.”

This announcement infuriated Paul. He grabbed a chair and threw it at the TV with all his strength, causing the TV to break.

“Oh, if only I could stop this Pokemon League from happening!” Paul cursed.

It was at this moment that Paul remembered he had the very thing that could stop the Revolution League from beginning in Neon Town. He unzipped his suitcase, revealing the nuclear warhead he took for Giovanni about two months ago. He set the warhead to armed and grabbed the remote controller that would be used to trigger the explosion.

“Well, at least there won’t be any more Pokemon battles in this world,” Paul said, apparently accepting the fact that he would die in the process.

Before Paul could press the button that would detonate the nuclear warhead, something caught his attention out of the corner of his eye. He turned his head toward the window and saw a Pidgeot carrying Blake and Raichu flying at him at a fast speed.

“WHAT THE HECK?!” Paul exclaimed in shock.

Pidgeot broke through the window and rammed right into Paul. Paul dropped the remote controller as he was hit and was sent flying against a wall. When he hit the wall, he fell to the ground in pain. Blake and Raichu dismounted Pidgeot and returned Pidgeot to its pokeball. Paul was struggling to get back to his feet.

“Do me a favor, Paul,” Blake said. “Just stay down.”

“I don’t do favors for anyone,” Paul claimed in a tone of contempt as he stood back up. “Especially for pathetic fools I don’t know.”

“You better watch your tone with me,” Blake replied sternly. “Just so you know, I’m Blake Webster. You made a big mistake interrupting my battle at the Best of the Best Tournament and an even bigger mistake threatening the lives of countless innocents. The biggest mistake you made was thinking you could get away with it without anyone figuring out where you were hiding.”

“I don’t know how you found me, but it makes no difference,” Paul said. “I’m not going to let anyone compete in another Pokemon battle ever again.”

As Paul was walking toward the remote controller he dropped, Blake cut him off and stood in his way.

“I don’t think so, Paul,” Blake said. “You’re not going to detonate that warhead.”

“Get out of my way, you pathetic fool!” Paul ordered.

“I don’t take orders from pathetic terrorists like you,” Blake claimed.

That remark set off Paul. Paul threw a punch at Blake and Blake ducked. Blake tackled Paul to the ground and both of them started exchanging blows. As much as Raichu wanted to get involved, he knew he couldn’t risk it as he might accidently shock Blake.

Paul kicked Blake off of him. Blake got right back up and grappled with Paul before Paul could reach the remote controller. Blake threw Paul against a wall to keep him away from detonating the nuclear warhead. The two continued to exchange blows against each other. Both of them were desperate to turn the fight in their favor. Blake was fighting to protect the lives of everyone in Neon Town and everyone else nearby, while Paul was fighting to prevent Pokemon battles from ever continuing.

Paul eventually gained the advantage by poking one of Blake’s eyes. Blake couldn’t see the next attack Paul threw at him. Paul struck Blake with his knee in Blake’s stomach. Blake fell to the ground in pain. He knew the situation was about to become chaotic as he saw Paul picking up the remote controller.

“Raichu, EMP!” Blake commanded in desperation.

Raichu unleashed a shockwave that covered the entire room. The lights in the room went out, yet no one was hurt.

“Too bad, Blake,” Paul said in a proud tone. “See you in the afterlife.”

Paul pressed the button designated to detonate the nuclear warhead. However, the warhead did not detonate. Paul pressed the button again. To his surprise, nothing happened. He kept pressing the button in hopes that it would work. Yet the warhead would not detonate.

“What did you do?” Paul demanded. “WHAT DID YOU DO?!”

“Raichu fried every circuit in your warhead with an EMP,” Blake explained as he got back up. “Your bomb is dead. It’ll never explode.”

“That’s impossible!” Paul cursed. “No Raichu can learn EMP!”

“Mine did,” Blake rebutted. “Tell me, who’s pathetic now?”

“I’LL KILL YOU!” Paul yelled in a furious tone as he tackled Blake to the ground.

Both Blake and Paul continued to exchange blows against each other. However, Paul’s blows were much stronger than before with his heightened anger. Blake managed to kick Paul off, but Paul got back on him. Paul put his hands over Blake’s throat in an attempt to choke him to death. Blake tried getting Paul off, but Paul was too strong in his current position.

“Don’t worry, Blake,” Paul said as he continued to choke Blake. “It’ll be all over in just a moment.”

Suddenly, out of nowhere, Jon Dickson pulled Paul off of Blake. Blake realized that his friends discovered where he and Paul were at. Ash, Ritchie, Jon and Brandon managed to throw Paul down to the ground and pinned him down. Ash and Jon had Paul’s legs pinned, while Ritchie and Brandon were pinning his arms.

Blake was coughing in his attempts to catch his breath. Dawn knelt near Blake to check on his condition. Raichu and Piplup were nearby to check up on Blake as well.

“Blake, are you alright?” Dawn asked.

“Yeah,” Blake answered as he sat up and continued to catch his breath. “I’m fine, Dawn. How’d you find me so quickly?”

“We saw the EMP from the Battle Pyramid,” Jon explained. “When we saw it, we set the Battle Pyramid to auto-pilot and came down here as quick as we could. Good thing, too. You could’ve died.”

“LET ME GO!” Paul ordered in frustration.

“NO!” Brandon loudly declared. “Young man, you caused a lot of trouble and damage for everyone. You’ve disgraced what was left of your reputation. You should be ashamed of yourself!”

“None of this would have happened if…” Paul began.

“If what?” Ritchie demanded. “If you hadn’t been banned from competing in Pokemon Leagues?”

“We know you didn’t just quit after you lost against Laman Humphrey,” Blake added as he stood up with Dawn’s help. “We know you picked a fight against him after you lost. We know that’s why you got banned from being allowed to compete again. What we don’t understand is why you went as far as to steal a nuclear weapon and threaten to use it against everyone else. So, tell us: Why did you do it? Why did you threaten to end so many innocent lives?”

“Because the ban was unfair!” Paul confessed. “Laman talked trash at me before, during, and even after the battle. I couldn’t take it anymore. All I wanted to do was shut him up. I was justified in brawling with him. But the Pokemon Leagues took his side over mine. I tried appealing the ban, but they wouldn’t even hear my argument. They said I would never compete in another official battle again. That’s why I went this far! I did it to force them out of business in retaliation! I did it to get back at them for what they did to me!”

“They didn’t do this to you,” Blake disagreed. “You did it to yourself. All you had to do was walk away from Laman after you lost to him. You chose to lose your temper toward him. You chose to get in a fight with him. You chose to get yourself banned. And now, you’re going to prison for the rest of your life.”

A handful of police officers accompanied by Officer Jenny entered the room. They quickly secured the room and made sure no one else was in it before making their next move.

“We got him, Officer Jenny,” Ash said.

“And the warhead?” Officer Jenny asked.

“It’s been disabled,” Blake answered. “It won’t detonate, but you better get the bomb squad here to safely remove it from this room.”

As one of the officers radioed a call to the bomb squad, Officer Jenny put handcuffs of Paul and stood him up.

“Paul, you’re under arrest for terrorism and attempted murder,” Officer Jenny informed Paul. “You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed to you.”

As Officer Jenny took Paul outside of the hotel, Blake, Ash, Ritchie, Jon, Dawn, Brandon, Raichu, Pikachu, Sparky and Piplup followed to make sure Paul didn’t attempt an escape. A police car was waiting outside at the entrance of the hotel. Officer Jenny placed Paul inside the police car.

“Enjoy the rest of your life behind bars, Paul,” Blake said.

“I’ll be back,” Paul vowed. “You can’t keep the Global Elitists out of political office forever. And when they get in, I’ll be back on the streets to finish what I started!”

Officer Jenny shut the door. The police car drove off. Paul was on his way to prison.

“It’s all over,” Ash said.

“Almost,” Officer Jenny replied. “We just need to get your statements on what happened in that hotel room for our report. Then it’s over.”

“Of course,” Blake agreed.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

The next morning, Blake, Ash, Ritchie, Jon, Dawn, Brandon, Raichu, Pikachu, Sparky and Piplup were having breakfast at a restaurant in Viridian City. They were seated near a TV that had the morning news on.

“Law enforcement officers are pleased to announce that the disabled nuclear warhead is now in military custody,” the newswoman reported. “As for ex-Pokemon Trainer Paul, he was denied bail and is currently being held in a maximum-security prison pending trial. If convicted, Paul will spend the rest of his natural life in prison. In related news, Charles Goodshow has announced that with Paul now in police custody and the nuclear warhead no longer a threat, Pokemon Leagues will be resuming operations very soon. Also, effective immediately, Pokemon battles have been authorized to resume, which is very good news to Pokemon Trainers all over the world. Now for our weather forecast for the next seven days…”

“I love being a Pokemon Trainer,” Blake said. “I never thought it would help me save an entire town. It feels great knowing that we’re heroes.”

“I was wrong about you, Blake,” Brandon admitted. “When you took off for Neon Town, I thought you were going to do something reckless that would make the situation worse for everyone. If you didn’t make it to Paul in time, a lot of people would be dead. I’m glad you ignored my advice.”

“Well, I’m glad we can finally get back to doing what we enjoy doing the most,” Ash said. “We can finally resume our journeys without having Paul ruin everything for us.”

“And we can also battle again,” Ritchie added.

Hearing that last remark caused Jon to remember something.

“You know, Blake, we never did finish our battle at the Best of the Best Tournament,” Jon reminded Blake. “How about after this meal, we finish what we started two days ago?”

“Sounds good to me,” Blake answered.

“I’ve got an even better idea,” Brandon replied. “How about instead of you two finishing that battle, we have a four-way battle? Ash, Ritchie, Blake and Jon in a four-way battle royal to unofficially determine the Best of the Best.”

“Don’t you want to battle in it as well?” Ritchie asked.

“We’ll need a referee for that battle,” Brandon pointed out. “Two, actually, in order to keep track of all the action. Dawn, you can be the second referee.”

“But I’ve never been a referee before,” Dawn replied.

“You’ve seen enough battles to know how it’s done,” Brandon said. “It’s not that hard. You’ll actually find that it’s very simple.”

“Well, there’s one problem,” Ash replied as he pointed to the window showing paparazzi members waiting outside. “Blake’s not a huge fan of the paparazzi.”

“I’ll make an exception in this case,” Blake offered. “I’m not going to be like Paul and deny someone a huge payday. I’m better than that. Besides, this is a battle no one will ever see again.”

“Then what are we waiting for?” Jon asked as everyone finished eating breakfast. “Let’s get this battle underway.”

After they paid for their meals, they stepped out of the restaurant. Naturally, the members of the paparazzi flocked toward them requesting impromptu interviews.

“I know you all expect us to do interviews, but we’ve got something even better in store,” Blake told the paparazzi. “You’re going to see a battle you will never see anywhere else.”

The paparazzi members followed Blake, Ash, Ritchie, Dawn, Jon, Brandon, Raichu, Pikachu, Sparky and Piplup to a nearby field. Blake, Ash, Ritchie and Jon got in position on the field as if they were standing on corners of a square. Dawn and Brandon stood on the sidelines to act as referees. The paparazzi members were almost like spectators as they observed and started taking photos and videos.

“Alright, let’s go over the rules,” Brandon announced. “This will be a four-way battle royal. Each Pokemon Trainer will be allowed to use six Pokemon. Pokemon exchanges are allowed if desired. When a Trainer runs out of Pokemon to battle with, that Trainer is eliminated from the battle. The last Pokemon Trainer standing will unofficially be named the Best of the Best. Trainers, send out your starting Pokemon!”

“Go, Ninetales!” Blake declared as he threw his pokeball out.

Ninetales emerged from its pokeball, ready to battle.

“In that case, I choose Rapidash!” Jon declared as he threw his pokeball out.

Rapidash emerged from its pokeball, ready to battle.

“Infernape, I choose you!” Ash declared as he threw his pokeball out.

Infernape emerged from its pokeball, ready to battle.

“And I choose Zippo!” Ritchie declared as he threw his pokeball out.

Ritchie’s Charizard, Zippo, emerged from its pokeball, ready to battle.

“This battle will now begin!” Brandon declared. “Fight!”

All four Pokemon on the battlefield then rushed at each other at the center for their opening attacks.


	23. Epilogue

Epilogue

Giovanni approached Cassidy and Butch at Team Rocket Headquarters. It was unusual for him to personally approach certain members of Team Rocket, but he had a good reason for doing so.

“Start packing, you two,” Giovanni instructed Cassidy and Butch.

“What’s going on?” Cassidy asked.

“Paul was arrested yesterday evening,” Giovanni answered. “The warhead is now in military custody. It’s only a matter of time until they trace it back to us. I’m moving our headquarters to another region to avoid being caught.”

“Are you serious?” Butch asked in a surprised tone.

“I’m serious, Butch,” Giovanni confirmed. “We’ll also have to come up with another plan. It’s clear that obtaining and using a nuclear warhead isn’t going to work anymore.”

“What other plan do you have in mind?” Cassidy asked.

“I’ve already sent scouts to begin the first phase of my new plan,” Giovanni explained. “I’ll inform you on the details once we’ve completed moving our headquarters.”

“I hope it’s better than letting some ex-Pokemon Trainer steal our weapon,” Butch said.

“It’s much better,” Giovanni replied. “Once we have what we need, we’ll finally be able to obtain the one thing we’ve been working so hard for. World domination.”

To Be Continued in Pokemon: Giovanni’s Conquest


End file.
